The Edge of Darkness
by AquilaTempestas
Summary: A dark evil has been unleashed upon the world, enveloping it in shadow. Now the herd must embark on a dangerous journey to unearth the source and end it. Diego/Shira. Rated T for blood, gore and death. COMPLETE!
1. Prologue: The Rise of Evil

**Disclaimer**

I do not own Ice Age unfortunately

**Title**

The Edge of Darkness

**Summary**

A dark evil has been unleashed upon the world, enveloping it in shadow. Now the herd must embark on a dangerous journey to unearth the source and end it. Eventual DiegoxShira, some SotoxShira.

**.**

**Prologue: The Rise of Evil**

"What do you think it is?"

"A giant egg."

The smaller, light brown pelted sabre tooth tiger sniffed the ground around the egg trying to detect a scent. "Is it food, Oscar?"

The cat called Oscar walked towards the egg and reached out a paw. He touched the surface of the egg, feeling it pulsating at his touch. With each beat, the stone quivered gently as if it were waiting to hatch. It was unlike any other egg he had witnessed; this egg was red, had purple veins and was warm to touch. Pressing an ear against it, he detected a soft purring noise coming from within. He jerked back violently. "It's alive!" he commented, darting a worried glance at his friends.

His much thicker companion, a sabre with hazel eyes and short fangs, took an eager step forward rubbing his paws together in delight. "Can we eat it, Oscar? I'm hungry!"

Oscar shook his head. "I don't think that would be wise."

The small sabre tooth tiger jumped forward rising on its two hind legs. It pressed its two forelimbs against the egg and licked it eagerly. "Oh come on Oscar! We've been travelling for days now searching for food!" He glanced up at the egg. "It's almost as big as a mammoth! It'll keep us full for days."

A deep growl escaped Oscar's throat. "No Zeke. We have no idea what this egg actually is. It's far too large to come from any bird." As he spoke, a rumble of hunger came from his stomach. He glanced back at the large egg again. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt to try..."

Before he could give the word, Lenny and Zeke opened their jaws and sunk their teeth into the egg, trying to crack it open. The two hungry sabres tried desperately to break through the hard surface but their attempts were futile. "Enough! It's not going to break!" Oscar commanded.

Defeated by the tough eggshell, Lenny and Zeke stepped back and lay flat on the ground. "I'm so hungry..." Lenny muttered, a visible drop of drool leaking down the right side of his jaw. "I wonder what's inside?" He didn't know of any mammal born from an egg and no bird was large enough for it.

"Looking at this egg isn't going to ease our hunger, we need to hunt," Oscar said, feeling restless. Although the snowstorm still raged outside, the desire to eat was overwhelmingly strong.

"Are you sure that's a good idea, Oscar?" Zeke asked.

Oscar remained silent. Was he willing to risk braving the intensity of the storm? He turned his back to the strange egg and headed towards the exit of the cavern made of ice, followed closely by his friends. Blistering cold wind greeted the trio. Lenny shuddered. "We're going to die out here."

Zeke nodded vigorously, his teeth chattering. "We should stay in the cavern Oscar, until the snowstorm passes – that's why we came in here in the first place." His body trembled as another powerful gust of cold wind blew causing snow on the ground to rise up in the air.

Despite the desire to hunt, Oscar knew wondering aimlessly in the snowstorm would be fatal. They would have to wait until the storm passed before travelling again. He didn't like it, but they didn't have a choice. He could only hope the egg hatched and present them with a meal. Turning around from the outside world, he led his pack mates back into the safety of the cavern.

Weakened by hunger but forced to remain under shelter, the cats could do nothing but rest. Lenny's eyelids fluttered shut and soon fell asleep, while the other two stayed awake. Zeke's stomach grumbled and the mangy grey furred tiger rubbed his stomach with his left paw gingerly. "I'm so hungry I would even eat that sloth..." Sloths weren't known for tasting great, especially that oddball called Sid.

Oscar growled softly at the mention of sloth. That sloth brought on their demise and led to their former leader Soto being killed. It was a memory he wanted to forget, but one that wouldn't fade no matter how hard he tried to move on. He laid his head gently between his paws. If Soto was still alive where would they be now? A sudden wave of fatigue took hold of him. Yawning, he closed his eyes and rested when a rumble caused his eyes to open.

Zeke's ears perked up, fully alert. "Did you hear that?" he asked, lifting his head up from his paws.

"It was probably my stomach rumbling," Lenny replied, awakening with a yawn.

"It's coming from beneath us," Oscar said, now wide awake.

A violent tremor caused Zeke to jump to his feet. "Earthquake!" he yelped, dashing to Lenny's side. He huddled up next to his friend quivering, eyes scanning his environment nervously.

Now on his feet, Oscar searched for a place to hide. There! A small opening in the far right wall. "Over there!" Oscar said, running towards the opening for protection. He sat down on his belly and crawled into the opening, his friends following behind him. The three sabres squeezed themselves into the tight space as the ground continued to shake.

Bits and pieces of ice fell from the roof of the cavern, smashing into hundreds of pieces on the floor. The sound was deafening – it was as if thunder and explosions had combined to make a terrifying noise. The three large cats cowered as they waited for the shaking to stop. The egg in the centre of the room swayed back and forth as cracks began to show.

The tremors weakened significantly as the egg continued to crack. Bit by bit, the hard surface fell off revealing what was hidden inside. Oscar cautiously exited the protective opening curious to investigate, while Lenny and Zeke remained hidden. A four legged creature with a tan pelt of fur stood where the egg once was. Semi-short canine teeth hung from the upper jaw and Oscar felt a strong sense of connection surface within him. "...Soto?" he asked, slowly walking forward.

It wasn't possible, was it? Soto had been killed by a woolly mammoth. He had seen it with his own eyes! The sabre tooth tiger jerked his head sharply towards Oscar. The corners of his mouth tipped upwards in a smirk. "I have been reborn."

Zeke and Lenny emerged from their hiding and joined Oscar. "But how? We saw you die!" Lenny spoke.

Soto opened his mouth revealing sharp dagger like teeth and yawned. "It feels good to be alive again." He glanced behind him where the egg once was.

Zeke rushed forward with exuberant joy. "It's good to see you again!" He attempted to nuzzle his former leader with his face, but was pushed roughly away.

"We do not have time for a reunion party," Soto snapped, turning his head in Zeke's direction. It was then Zeke noticed Soto's once hazel eyes, were now a blood red. He shook his head and walked backwards to rejoin his friends, his head slightly bowed. "The time has come." Soto turned his attention away from the other sabres and glanced outside. The snowstorm had now ceased. All was deathly silent.

Oscar spoke, "Time for what?"

Without turning to address him, Soto replied, "Vengeance." His death replayed clearly in his mind. He remembered the betrayal of former pack member, Diego. He remembered being hurled into an ice wall by that mammoth. He remembered the icicles falling down and stabbing him ending his existence in a brief second. He growled deeply. "We leave now. They won't survive this time."

Oscar exchanged worried looks with Zeke and Lenny, but didn't dare argue. This was Soto, their former leader and friend. He still looked the same, except for the blood red eyes, but he could still be trusted. Without saying another word, the tigers followed Soto and exited the cavern.

.

I couldn't find any real fantasies in this fandom, and I've decided to give it a shot myself. I know the first chapter is short, but it's vital for setting the plot. I do apologize for the out-of-characterness – it's been awhile since I've seen the movies, but I'll work on it in the future. Also, I am presuming Zeke rediscovered Lenny and Oscar. As for Shira, she will come into the story soon. Let me know if you like : )


	2. Disturbance

**Disclaimer**

I do not own Ice Age unfortunately

**Title**

The Edge of Darkness

**Summary**

A dark evil has been unleashed upon the world, enveloping it in shadow. Now the herd must embark on a dangerous journey to unearth the source and end it. Eventual DiegoxShira, some SotoxShira.

**Special Thanks**

Thanks to StelzaRinator and Kayla Destroyer for reviewing the opening chapter! I hope you enjoy this one as well.

**.**

**Chapter One: Disturbance**

He sat on his belly, keeping his intense gaze on the herd of deer before him. The stags in the herd constantly looked up and around searching for predators, but the direction of the wind made it impossible. For a certain sabre tooth tiger, this was the perfect opportunity to grab a meal. The deer were clueless to his presence.

Crawling cautiously on his belly, he moved forward towards a young calf standing a few feet away from its mother. The thought of sinking his teeth into its flesh caused a bubble of excitement to rise within him. Slowly, he picked himself up from the ground and edged even closer towards the unsuspecting calf.

Its mother was unaware of his presence and carried on eating while the calf bounded even further away from its mother. He edged closer... and closer... there! A perfect opportunity to strike! He jumped out from behind his cover and ran as fast as he could towards the calf. Now fully alert, the calf kicked its heels and bolted in the opposite direction. Alerted by the sudden movement, the remaining deer in the herd ran.

Reaching a peak speed of thirty five miles within thirty seconds, the sabre sprinted through the icy terrain eyeing the calf with hunger. He was not going to let this calf escape! With this sudden surge of speed, the tiger quickly caught up to the calf. He was a claw away from a meal. Terrified, the young deer attempted to zig zag to throw the tiger off its track. Instinct told the deer the endurance of a tiger was limited.

The tiger's energy levels rapidly decreased with each couple of metres he covered. If he did not make an attack now, the deer would escape and he would have to find a new area to hunt. Without wasting another thought, he launched his full body weight at the backside of the calf pulling it down to the ground without effort.

Desperate to survive, the calf kicked out its legs hoping to strike the tiger in the face. At this point, the rest of the herd had disappeared. Death was inevitable. The calf squealed as teeth sunk into its windpipe cutting off its oxygen. A weak kick struck the tiger's side, but the damage had already been done. In a matter of seconds, the calf was dead.

The big cat placed its paws on the side of its belly and eagerly tore at the fresh meat with his sharp teeth. Blood dyed his fur a dark shade of red, but it didn't dampen his appetite. Eagerly, he ate the flesh as if he had been introduced to meat for the first time. He quickly polished the best parts of the meal. Shreds of meat still remained on the poor animal, but he had satisfied his ravenous appetite.

It was now time to return home.

But first, a quick wash was needed. After all, he didn't want other predators to pick up on the scent of blood. Nor did he want his pack – no, his herd, to feel uncomfortable. They were all vegetarians and they did not like his selection in food. He walked a mile until he found a large pond of unfrozen water. He walked into the pool and rolled around in it until all the blood had washed off his fur. Once he was done, he walked out, shook his body viciously, and made his way back home.

Upon arrival, he was greeted with a hug by a tiny sloth. The sloth wrapped it's forelimbs around his right forelimb, grasping it tightly. "I missed you Diego!" the sloth said, rubbing his face against his fur.

Diego rolled his eyes. "Sid, I've only been away for less than thirty minutes."

Sid ignored him and continued his affectionate gesture. "Manny's stressed out because Peaches won't stop complaining."

The tiger gently pushed Sid away and stared down at the sloth. "What is she complaining about now?"

"She wants a boyfriend," Sid replied calmly, placing his claws over his chest.

"Teenagers," Diego muttered disdainfully, wiping his nose with a paw. He was thankful Peaches didn't fool around with him. He hated to admit it, but she was cute as a baby mammoth. Now... she was the exact opposite; nothing but a semi-large mammoth who only spoke in complaints. No wonder Manny was stressed.

Sid snapped out of his trance and glanced up at Diego. "You don't mean that... do you?" he asked curiously. Diego might not be the most romantic and sensitive of animals, but Peaches was adorable.

Not wanting to discuss such trivial matters with Sid, Diego tried to walk away from the sloth and find a place to rest. The hunt had depleted him of energy. He would need a good couple of hours to fully restore himself before moving again. "Not now Sid." But try as he might, Sid was determined to discuss family life with the moody tiger.

"Have you ever wondered what it would be like to have a family?" Sid asked aloud, running after Diego. "I have thought about it often. I think I would be a great father!" he declared happily, a smile on his face.

Diego stopped in his tracks. Sid? A father? What a horrid thought! "Keep on dreaming Sid."

"And I will marry the most beautiful female sloth and we'll celebrate our wedding the traditional sloth way!" Sid said. It was obvious Diego's previous comment had not reached his ears.

Glancing over his right forelimb, Diego frowned. "Traditional sloth wedding?"

Sid nodded eagerly. "Yes! We find ourselves a bog and we wrestle!" The thought of rolling around in the mud wrestling a female sloth made his heart quicken. He had crossed paths with female sloth before, but unfortunately his busy life as an adventurer made it hard to settle down and raise a family. "And after the wrestling, the relatives and friends play the bongo drums!"

Diego wasn't sure what to think. Sloths were strange creatures, but Sid had to be the most bizarre character he had come across. It made him wonder what his upbringing was like. "...right... well you keep your deranged fantasies, I'm going to sleep." Diego pressed his belly to the ground and laid out his paws in front of him. Resting his head on his paws, he closed his eyes and tried to block out Sid's voice.

"What about you Diego? Have you ever thought of finding a pretty sabre tooth female cat and settling down?" Sid asked, standing directly in front of Diego.

Diego opened his right eye. "No."

Sid moved in closer. "You've never thought about what it would be like to be in love?"

Diego opened his left eye. "No." With each question, he was growing increasingly annoyed. It took all his willpower not to strike down the feeble sloth with his paw.

Sighing, Sid sat on the ground. "Did you have some sort of bad relationship in the past?" He was determined to get to the bottom of this!

Growling softly, Diego continued to glare at Sid. "No." At the rate he was going, he might set a new record for saying 'no'

Silence. Diego sighed with relief, pleased Sid had given up his pointless maddened questioning. Perhaps now he could sleep. He was about to close his eyes again, when Sid opened his mouth to speak. "Have you never been with a female before?" Sid suddenly asked. That had to be it!

Diego was most displeased with this line of questioning. Sid had crossed the line. He bared his sharp dagger-like teeth, uttering a low deep growl. Sid picked up the hint and backed away, mumbling under his breath about 'a touchy kitty cat'. Once Sid had surrendered, Diego smirked to himself and closed his eyes. Finally, a chance to rest... and a chance to get away from Sid for a short time. As he slowly drifted into the world of sleep, a faint rumbling noise caused his ears to perk up.

He hoped it wasn't Sid stomping around on the ice again, trying to create what he called 'music'. Opening one eye, he noticed Sid was fast asleep, stretched out on his back facing the sky. The mammoths were also sleeping. Even the opossums were asleep. He heard the rumbling noise again. It was coming from underneath him.

Before he could inform the others, a violent tremor caused the ground to shake causing the other herd members to awaken from their sleep. Sid, as usual, was last. "What's happening?" he asked, yawning loudly. The ground shook again throwing him off his feet. In any other instance, Sid falling over would be amusing, but this was different.

"Something's wrong," Manny said, using his large trunk to steady himself as the violent shaking continued.

Ellie wrapped her trunk around her daughter holding her protectively. A large crack in the ground appeared, sending chunks of ice flying up into the air. A strange white light shone through the cracks, temporarily blinding the herd members. The opossums latched onto Ellie's fur holding it tightly as another tremor shook the ground.

"I'm feeling dizzy!" Sid announced. His tongue was hanging out the side of his mouth and his pupils were in opposite directions to each other. He crawled across the ice and hugged Manny's thick legs for support. The crack in the ground widened as a large creature, shaped much like a mammoth, climbed out.

"We need to move now!" Diego shouted.

"Get out of here Manny!" Ellie screamed. "I'll look after Peaches!"

Manny felt sadness surface within. He didn't want to leave his mate and daughter. They were his family and he'd sworn to protect them. "I'm not leaving you!"

"You have to! Peaches won't be able to keep up and my brothers need protecting," Ellie reasoned, tears in her eyes. "We'll meet again soon, I promise Manny."

"Manny..." Diego warned. There was no time to lose. Action needed to be taken immediately.

Manny wiped an eye with his trunk and nodded. He wrapped his trunk around Ellie's own; a sign of a temporary goodbye. He turned his back, picked up Sid and placed the confused sloth on his back. He started to run in the opposite direction to the crack. Diego and Sid sprinted after Manny. Something unnatural was happening, but he didn't want to stay around and find out. It was better to escape with life than die a quick death at the hands of something unknown.

.

I do apologize for the delay in updating, but I've just come back from Hawaii. I will try to get at least one or two chapters done every month. Future chapters will probably remain around the 2000 word limit, but this might change as the plot progresses. Once again I apologize for anything that might seem out of character – still getting the feel of this fandom. Reviews are much appreciated and taken into consideration : )


	3. Mistaken Identity

**Disclaimer**

I do not own Ice Age unfortunately

**Title**

The Edge of Darkness

**Summary**

A dark evil has been unleashed upon the world, enveloping it in shadow. Now the herd must embark on a dangerous journey to unearth the source and end it. Eventual DiegoxShira. Some Soto/Shira.

**Special Thanks**

StelzaRizanator and KaylaDestroyer for reviewing the previous chapter! I hope you enjoy the latest one.

**.**

**Chapter Two: Mistaken Identity**

The giant mammoth climbed out of the crack in the ground and heaved its massive body onto the ice. Two other creatures followed behind it; a strange mixture. Both of them were much smaller than the mammoth, but they were equipped with weapons. The animal on the mammoth's right was a golden coated sabre, its sharp canine teeth dripping with drool. A sloth stood on the mammoth's left waving its deadly claws in the air. If forced into a fight, the sloth's claws could inflict serious damage to its foe.

The mammoth looked around, scanning his environment. Herds of deer and other species of animals watched them with wide open eyes. The mammoth glanced down at its companions, a smirk crossing its face. "Kill them." His eyes were pitch black and devoid of any emotion, matching the cold tone in his voice.

Upon his order, the sabre charged at the herd of deer. He reached a top speed within seconds and threw himself at a confused deer. The deer fell immediately to the ground and died several seconds later. The mammoth joined the fray charging at the scattering herd. Swinging his trunk sideways, he knocked light weight animals out of his way, not caring if they survived or not.

Even the sloth, despite its small build, proved deadly. It hopped onto the sabre's back and threw its body at a deer, sinking its claws deep into its hide. The deer attempted to buck, trying to throw the sloth off, but its attempts failed. Soon, weakness caused the animal to drop to its knees. With bloodied claws, the sloth climbed off and waited for the sabre to pick it up.

In the distance, a stag watched the terror unfold. It was a sea of blood. Lifeless corpses stained the snow with red. There was no time to grieve. Instinct told him to run. He turned around and bolted, running as fast as he could blocking out the sounds of the tormented screams from his friends. These lands had once been peaceful. Now they marked the graves of innocent animals that had fallen.

.

A lone female sabre covered in light grey black striped fur crossed the snowy plains cautiously. Every few seconds the cat would stop, look around and then continue to walk again. A lone sabre was a dead sabre. She continued to walk until she found an abandoned cave. She was greeted by warmth as she entered inside.

Settling down on her belly, she placed her chin on her paws and closed her eyes. Sleep quickly overcame her, as dreams began to flood her mind. Her mind focused on herself – a lone female sabre searching for a mate. She wanted a family, to start a pack of her own, but she couldn't do that without a male.

Unfortunately, sabres were hard to find these days. A panicked thought surfaced, causing her to awaken. What if she was the last female sabre? Or worst yet... what if _she _was the_ last _sabre? It was a dreadful thought and one she hoped was not true. Mind distracted, the female sabre lifted herself up from the cave floor and paced back and forth.

There _had_ to be another sabre! She could _not _be the last of her kind. She was the third day in her estrus cycle. If she didn't find a mate within the next five days she'd have to wait another ninety days... if she survived another ninety days. She didn't think she could wait that long to have a family. Her stomach growled suggesting it was time to hunt again.

She exited the cave and sniffed the air, hoping to catch scent of some herd animals. The scent of deer filled her nostrils. And... she sniffed the air again. Familiar scent. Sabre? Excitement filled her. Her belly could wait.

.

The stag continued to run until he collided into the back of another mammoth. He fell backwards upon impact, but quickly regained his composure. His eyes widened at the creature before him. He lowered his head forward, preparing to charge at the mammoth.

The mammoth turned around, saw what was happening and immediately stood back on his hind legs. He swung his trunk around trying to defend himself from the panicked stag. "We don't mean you any harm!" the mammoth cried.

The stag stomped its fore legs into the ground and snorted. "You killed my herd mammoth!" he said, glaring up at the giant mammoth.

The mammoth frowned, troubled. "Why would we want to hurt you?" Mammoths and deer weren't friends, but they weren't enemies either.

A powerful tawny coated male sabre stepped forward, standing next to the mammoth. "We haven't been near any deer in weeks," he said. It was partially true; only _he _had been near deer but that was for food. His friends simply remained as far away as possible from the deer.

The stag's eyes flickered nervously over to the sabre, then to the mammoth, then back to the sabre. He recognized them – they were the 'herd' of heroes. His muscles relaxed. They could be trusted, but he wasn't going to lower his guard in case the sabre was hungry. He had to choose his next words carefully; he didn't want to cause any offense. "Then... if it wasn't you, then who killed my herd?"

"Can you describe them to us?" Manny asked.

An image of the violent trio of mammals appeared in his mind. They bore resemblance to the animals he was speaking to now, but there was something different about them. "They looked like... well... they looked like you three," he said, looking at the three closely. "I thought they were you."

Diego sighed. "We can't be in two places at the same time," he said, scoffing slightly. "You say they looked exactly like us?" That was weird. He hadn't seen another sabre in years since the whole Soto dispute.

The stag nodded, then narrowed his gaze looking directly into their eyes. "But their eyes... they were unnatural."

Before Sid could open his mouth to comment, Manny spoke, "What do you mean by unnatural?"

"They were dark. Complete black." The stag shuddered. "I can't stay for much longer." Without giving the trio a chance to speak, the stag bounded off in the opposite direction, kicking up white snow behind him. In a matter of seconds, he was gone leaving the mixed up herd alone.

A cold wind blew causing Sid to shudder. He wrapped his forelimbs around his body in an attempt to keep warm. "I'm feeling weird," he said nervously.

Diego lifted a paw and gently pushed Sid, grinning at the poor sloth stumbled backwards. "Probably because you look like an idiot standing there with your forelimbs wrapped around you," he explained casually.

Sid looked thoughtful for a second then nodded. "Oh yeah." An idea rushed through his mind. He waddled over to Manny's front right limb and buried himself in the fur. "It's like a coat," he said dreamily.

Manny and Diego didn't even bother commenting on Sid's behaviour. This was his normal behaviour. If he wasn't acting strange, then it meant something was wrong. "Do you think that large earthquake had something to do with it?" Diego questioned.

"I don't know what to think. None of this makes any sense," Manny replied, ignoring the merry tune Sid was now singing under his breath. "How do a mammoth, a sabre and a sloth climb out of the ground?" Diego remained silent, dropping down onto his belly for a quick rest. He didn't have an answer.

Sid ceased his humming and looked up at Manny. "Does that mean there's an evil copy of us walking around the earth causing mayhem in the animal kingdom?"

The mammoth sighed. "I guess that's a fine way of describing it."

A worried expression crossed Sid's face. It soon changed to an expression of wonder. "Wow, an evil me!" He wasn't sure if he should feel scared or not. He had always wondered what it would be like to meet another him.

Diego rolled his eyes. "Don't worry Sid. He can't possibly be more terrifying than you," he said sarcastically. "Maybe more of an annoyance if he talks just as much as you," he added, with a slight grin.

Sid grinned. "Can we say hello to him?"

Manny lightly tapped Sid with his trunk. "No Sid, it's too dangerous. We don't know what our copies are capable of doing or what they even want," he said sternly.

Sid flopped to the floor, a frown on his face. "You think they mean to harm us?"

"Why else would an herbivore harm another herbivore?" Manny replied, referring to the stag's earlier comments. None of this was making sense. Two vegetarians and a carnivore appear out of a crack in the ground and cause mayhem? He wished he had answers.

Sid fell silent. Manny raised a good point. "Then... what are we going to do?" He looked up at his much larger friend, with concerned eyes.

"We have to keep moving obviously," was Diego's blunt response. He lifted himself up from the ground and started moving north.

"What he said," Manny replied, following Diego. Sid glanced back in the direction of the earthquake, shuddered and hurried after his friends. It was time to embark on yet another journey, one that promised a grand adventure with many dangerous obstacles to overcome.

.

Sorry for the delay – got a little distracted over the weekend with some other stuff. Next chapter will be full of much excitement and action! As always, reviews are much appreciated!


	4. Unexpected Greeting

**Disclaimer**

I do not own Ice Age unfortunately

**Title**

The Edge of Darkness

**Summary**

A dark evil has been unleashed upon the world, enveloping it in shadow. Now the herd must embark on a dangerous journey to unearth the source and end it. Eventual DiegoxShira, some SotoxShira.

**Special Thanks**

KaylaDestroyer, carlal68, Lou, Tigey Wigey and kitkat342 for reviewing. I hope you enjoy this very fast update (it won't happen often).

**.**

**Chapter Three: Unexpected Greeting**

As Manny and Sid walked slowly, Diego sprinted ahead to scout the safest path. About three kilometres away, Diego came to a stop and sniffed the air. A familiar scent filled his nostrils. His superior sense of smell told him the scent belonged to a sabre... a female sabre. An odd mix of emotions stirred deep within. He hadn't seen a sabre in years now, especially a female sabre.

But what was she doing out here? Was she with her pack? It paid to be cautious. If she was accompanied by her pack then Diego knew it was time to leave quickly. If they crossed paths with each other, a vicious fight would occur. Despite having a mammoth on his side, a large pack of sabres would be more than a match. He sniffed the air again, trying to detect other sabres.

He couldn't detect anymore, but something caught his interest. The female sabre – she was in season. It brought him a brief sense of relief. That meant she was alone – a stray such as himself. If she were with a pack, she would've been with litter already. At least he would not have to encounter a pack of sabres. He thought hard about his next move. Either they could continue their journey north or return back in the direction they had come from and locate this female.

Instinct told him to chase the female. Rational thought told him to keep going forward a possible confrontation with their dark copies. He turned his head to the north, his green eyes looking towards the horizon then looked in the direction of the female sabre. A tough decision to make. What would Manny and Sid think if he changed paths now? They might begin to doubt his tracking ability.

Again, he fought the urge to find the female. It was an overwhelming sense of urgency; an intense emotion he hadn't experienced before. He turned back to the north again, contemplating his next decision. Surely, it wouldn't hurt to pay the female a short visit. All he wanted to know was why she was in his territory. Besides, he could always chase her away if her intentions were unfriendly.

He trotted back to his two friends. "What's the matter?" Manny asked.

"We're changing direction," Diego said. He lifted a paw and pointed south – back to where the earthquake struck. "We're going back."

Manny froze. "Have you gotten us lost?" he asked curiously.

Diego shook his head. He debated whether or not to tell them about the female sabre. How would they react? Would they be scared? Or would they want to investigate? He didn't _have _to tell them it was a female. "There's a sabre following us," Diego simply replied. "I think we should investigate. The sabre might be a danger to us."

Sid peered up at Diego nervously. "What if it's the evil copy of you?" he asked, bringing his left claw to his chin. "What if my evil version is there?" he added, looking more fearful.

Manny nodded in agreement with Sid. "Sid's right... for once. We have to keep going."

The sabre was certainly no evil copy of himself; but could he bring himself to tell his herd the truth? They watched him with curious eyes waiting for an explanation. Diego sighed. Better to tell them now then later. "It's a female sabre."

Their reaction was immediate. The corners of Sid's mouth curved into an all-knowing smile, while Manny tried to cover a smile. Naturally, Sid had something to say about the situation. He waddled up to Diego and gave him a wink and a nudge. "You go get her tiger."

Diego frowned. Just what on earth was Sid suggesting...

"Let's go and say hello!" Sid exclaimed, bounding away from the sabre happily. "It's about time you got yourself a girlfriend. It might help lighten up your mood," he added, followed by hysterical giggling.

Diego uttered a growl, but did nothing to the sloth. He'd get him back later. "I want to know why she's following us and if she's got a pack with her," Diego explained. He already knew the truth in regards to her pack – and he had a slight suspicion as to why she was following them. A female sabre travelling alone whilst she was in heat... but Manny and Sid didn't know, nor did they need to.

Manny turned his massive bulk around and nodded. "Alright, we'll find this other sabre."

"Yay!" exclaimed Sid, hurriedly waddling after Diego and Manny.

As they made their way towards the tigress, Diego began to wonder if this was such a good idea. It had been years since he'd been around sabres, and even longer since he's shared the company of a female. He wasn't sure how to act around her; would she attack? His thoughts were broken from the loud flapping of wings up ahead.

"Vultures!" Sid yelled, arching his neck backwards and glancing up at the flock of giant black feathered birds.

Lone Gunslinger, the leader of the vulture flock, heard Sid's cry but ignored him. The vulture leader was heavily engaged in a discussion with its fellow feathered friends. "I say, this will be the biggest meal of the year," one of the vultures said, gliding above the herd in a southerly direction.

"At least there won't be any fights for food this time round," another vulture commented, flapping its wings eagerly to gain height and speed.

"Less talk, more flapping!" Lone Gunslinger commanded. Conversation ceased between the raptors as they continued to head south. Back towards the area where many animals had died. Sid shook his body. A shudder of fear ran down his spine. Suddenly, searching for this female sabre seemed less exciting. He hoped it didn't take them back to the graveyard.

"Scavengers," Diego muttered bitterly. Vultures had an easy life. They didn't have to hunt – other animals did the work for them and they always ended up with more meat than the hunter. "We're getting closer," Diego added, stopping to sniff the ground.

Fortunately, it did not take long for them to find the female sabre. She was only five kilometres behind them, walking at a fast pace. Her appearance caught Diego off guard. Her fur was unlike any other sabre Diego he had encountered. Unlike most sabres, her fur was not a golden tawny colour; it was a light grey with black stripes. Like with most species, the female tigress was smaller than the male counterpart. Her canine teeth were slightly smaller as well.

As she drew much closer, Diego noticed the colour of her eyes. They were a brilliant shade of sapphire and he found himself mesmerized for a few brief seconds. It was only until Sid started singing, Diego snapped out of his trance and back to reality. "She's a pretty cat," Sid said. He gave Diego a sideways glance. "I think she's out of your league though."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Diego asked dryly.

Sid raised his claws in the air defensively. "I don't mean to cause any offense... but you're no ladies man, Diego." The sloth puffed out his chest and paced in front of the sabre. "The ladies love the ladies man!"

"And you know this how?"

"Why, I am an expert with the ladies!"

Diego glanced up at Manny. "Hey, don't look at me."

"An expert with the ladies?" Diego repeated, staring at the sloth as if he had grown an extra limb out of his head.

Sid nodded. "The ladies can't ignore my astonishing looks."

"I'm not going to comment," Manny said.

Diego turned away from the sloth. "Yeah... me neither." Sid? A ladies man? That didn't sound right.

Distracted by Sid's comments and boasting, the trio were oblivious to the female sabre charging towards them. Soon, the sound of her footsteps sprinting through the snow caught Diego's attention. He turned his head, saw the female charging and immediately responded. With a low growl, he charged at the female, throwing his heavier bulk at her, knocking her to the side.

The force of the impact threw her smaller body onto the snow roughly. Instinctively, she growled back and swatted at Diego's nose with a paw. He jumped back, evading the attack. "Is this how male sabres treat their females?" Sid randomly said aloud, watching the two cats stare at each other. He didn't receive an answer.

"Why are you trespassing on my territory?" Diego demanded.

The female sabre picked herself up from the ground. She shifted her gaze from the male sabre, then to the rather large mammoth to his left. She panted heavily, before speaking. "I don't mean any harm!"

"You charged at us," Diego pointed out.

"I was eager to approach you," the female replied, not taking her eyes of the mammoth. His deadly tusks could inflict damage if he were provoked into using them. She didn't want to take that chance. Cautiously, she took a few steps back. Her eyes flickered back over to the sabre that attacked her. He was larger than her and seemed to be in peak health judging by the shiny gleam in his fur coat. Good signs of a potential mate.

Sid shook his head sadly, walking in circles around Diego. "That's not how you treat a lady, Diego! You could learn a few things from us sloths. Us males serenade our women with song, dance and flowers," he said. "When we first cross paths with a female, we catch her eyes and leap into a graceful dance." He demonstrated this by jumping 'ungracefully' into the air.

"Uh, Sid? Now is not the time to talk about bizarre courtship rituals," Manny said. He lifted his trunk and pointed at the female. There was a gash at her left side where Diego's claws had struck her. She winced slightly from the wound, but was determined not to show her pain.

"Now that is truly unacceptable!" Sid said, shaking his claws at Diego. He rushed over to the tigress's side and examined the wound. It wasn't fatal; but it wasn't pretty either. He pulled back from the wound and looked down at her, gazing into sapphire coloured eyes. "It's not that bad," Sid said.

Manny frowned. "How do you know so much about wounds?"

"I've seen many things since my birth," was Sid's response.

Manny wasn't going to question it further. He turned to look at Diego, who was facing the north again. "Leaving already?"

Diego nodded. He wanted to leave the female sabre's presence as soon as possible. She made him feel uncomfortable. He wasn't sure what triggered his bout of aggression towards her, but he justified his actions. Other sabres couldn't be trusted – male or female. Her behaviour could simply be an act to fool them. He wasn't going to take any chances. Injuring her prevented her from escaping at least. "We have to keep going."

"What about our new friend?" Sid asked. "We can't leave her behind."

Diego sighed. Stupid sloth and his tendencies to develop emotional attachments with every animal they met. "She'll only slow us down." Truth was he was worried. He didn't want to be around another sabre – especially a female in season. His early suspicions were becoming clearer. She had followed them in her search for a potential mate. She might expect him to be her mate. A horrific thought. That wasn't the life he wanted. The sooner they left her, the better.

"I think we should let her come with us, or at least until she's feeling better," Manny said.

Try as he might, Diego could not bring himself to argue with Manny and Sid. They were his friends and they had saved his life once. He sighed. "Fine."

The female sabre's stomach growled. Diego sighed again. He could only hope things weren't going to go from bad to worse. He wondered what would happen if their evil copies discovered them in such a vulnerable position. "I haven't eaten yet," she said, sitting down on her belly. Her injury made it difficult to stand.

"We could feed you," Sid offered. "I could prepare you a meal."

She raised an eyebrow. What on earth could a sloth possibly offer her? "Meat?" she asked hopefully.

Sid shook his head. "Leaves!" he declared happily.

The feline turned her nose up in disgust. "Unpleasant."

Manny and Sid looked at each other and nodded. The two both turned to face Diego. "What?" he asked slightly concerned. What on earth did they have in mind?

"You can hunt for her!" Sid suggested.

Diego's eyes widened. Oh no, that was not what he was expecting. "I'm not hunting for her!" Hunting for himself was hard enough, but finding food for two sabres? That was asking for a lot effort. Manny and Sid glared at him. Diego got the hint and slowly slinked away from the herd. At least it gave him a break from the female. If only for little while.

.

A surprisingly fast update from me. It was such a fun chapter to write I just had to share it with you as soon as possible. I hope you enjoyed the chapter! If you are wondering where Soto is... don't worry – he'll be coming soon. Reviews much appreciated as always!

Oh, and I fixed a problem with chapter two. For some reason, the split between Manny and Ellie during the earthquake got cut out. But it's there now - hope it clears up why Ellie wasn't in the previous chapter or this chapter But she will play a part : )


	5. Separate Paths, but a Shared Goal

**Disclaimer**

I do not own Ice Age unfortunately

**Title**

The Edge of Darkness

**Summary**

A dark evil has been unleashed upon the world, enveloping it in shadow. Now the herd must embark on a dangerous journey to unearth the source and end it.

**Special Thanks**

kitkat342, teod, StelzaRinator, Starzinmieyez, Tigey Wigey, KaylaDestroyer and Lou for reviewing :D Thanks so much for your kind words! I hope you enjoy this three thousand word chapter!

**.**

**Chapter Four: Separate Paths, but a Shared Goal**

Soto bared his teeth, a deep growl escaping from his throat. For days they had travelled the cold desert plains searching for a meal. Their plans had been delayed in favour of investigating the powerful tremors. There was a change in the air. He could smell it. "How much further Soto?" Lenny whined, ignoring the grumblings in his stomach.

"I want to know about this earthquake that struck the ground a few days ago," Soto replied, a rough edge to his tone. "You should be able to find a meal there. Herds of animals always pass through this way."

The three sabres exchanged worried glances, not sure what else to say. Soto was their leader; he knew what was best for them. They had to place their trust in him. He stopped again, sniffing the air. "Did you catch scent of something?" Oscar asked.

Soto did not respond. Instead he sniffed the ground. "I smell blood."

Zeke's eyes brightened. "Blood? That means fresh meat!"

Soto sniffed again. "And... mammoth."

Even the other sabres did not detect the scent of mammoth. Had Soto returned with enhanced senses? "Mammoth? Manny?" Lenny inquired.

He shook his head. "There are two of them hiding in a cave not too far from the earthquake." His pace increased into a slow trot. "Looks like there'll be mammoth on the menu tonight." Without offering further explanation, Soto broke into a sprint and ran towards the cave.

"Better follow him," Zeke said.

"Mammoth!" Lenny said.

"Come on, best not to keep him waiting." Oscar sprinted after Soto, his companions close behind. Were these mammoths related to Manny? His question would be answered soon.

.

One step closer...

Another paw forward...

His prey wasn't aware of his presence. With a vicious leap forward, Diego sunk his teeth into the deer calf's neck. Unable to support the extra weight, the deer dropped to the ground in a heap. Its legs kicked in various directions, trying to throw the sabre off but it was too late. In seconds, its frantic kicking slowed before coming to a stop.

Another calf torn away from its mother. Another belly to fill. Such was the vicious cycle of life. In some ways Diego felt sympathy for the deer. He wondered what it would be like to travel the icy plains without any form of protection to defend itself from predators. Hooves and speed could only do so much, but ultimately intelligence and strength. And bravery otherwise Sid would've died a long time ago.

His stomach grumbled. A calf would keep his belly satisfied for another day, but he had another belly to feed. His thoughts drifted to the female sabre resting with the herd. He wondered what had caused her to become a lone sabre. Had her pack abandoned her? Had they died? It was a mystery. He wasn't going to ask otherwise risk being subjected to Sid's jokes.

Jaw clamped around the deer's neck, Diego walked over to a stray bolder and placed the animal behind it. He preferred to eat not in the wide open. He sunk his teeth into the warm flesh and pulled it apart piece by piece. Soon, all that remained of the deer was its bones, hooves and stray flaps of skin.

Stomach full, he returned back to his hunting ground and searched for another calf. He spotted a mother with two standing a couple of yards away, but she was alert. Chasing her would be futile. He needed an easier target. There. Two young male calves engaging in a fight with their developing antlers. Perfect.

The bigger of the two calves lunged forwards, his head low ready to battle with the other. Antlers clashed and locked. The two males struggled to throw the other one aside. Diego watched in amusement. "What a waste of energy..." he muttered under his breath. But he was thankful for it. It made catching prey much easier.

The smaller of the males stumbled, weakening his posture allowing the other male to cast him aside. As he stumbled to regain his composure, Diego jumped over the boulder and sprinted after the weakened male. His sprint caused the other deer to scatter. His target, exhausted by the fight, tried to run but failed to gain ground. He was down on the ground within seconds. Picking it up within his powerful jaws, he trotted back towards the herd.

His journey back was short. Sid covered his eyes unable to bear the vacant look in the calf's eyes. He dropped the calf before Shira's paws. "Here, have it." Dropping his head down, he pushed the corpse forward closer to Shira's jaws.

She looked up at him. "What about you? I don't see you with a meal."

"I ate mine before returning." It was impossible to carry two animals back to Shira, and leaving a meal behind would attract other predators. Avoiding a fight was necessary. He stepped away leaving Shira to eat her meal lost in his own thoughts.

.

Ellie trembled, but not because of the cold. Her two brothers sat on her back burying themselves into her fur, while Peaches pressed her side against her leg. She wrapped her trunk around her daughter protecting her from the cold. Although mammoths had thick fur, young adolescents were still growing theirs. She felt the blistering winds ruffle her fur causing a shudder to run down her spine.

"Where are we going to go mum? We can't stay here in the open like this!" Peaches cried.

She was right. They were susceptible to predators in the open. Finding a place to rest in a cave was important. Ellie removed her trunk from Peach and pointed forward. "We're going to find some place to stay before we freeze to death." Or experience another earthquake. What was the cause behind that anyway?

"What if the ground shakes again?" Crash asked, clinging on to a strand of fur.

Eddie nodded his eyes wide. "Yeah. The ground might eat us up for dinner!" He had always believed the ground beneath his feet was sturdy, but now he had doubts. If the ground opened up again would they fall in it? How far would they fall? Where would they go? What was beneath the ground they walked upon?

"We'll head back to the cave you celebrated your twelfth birthday at," Ellie said. She ushered Peaches to her feet with the tip of her trunk. "And then we'll find your father." Mentioning the word father brought tears of sadness to her eyes. Where was Manny now? Had he escaped the shaking grounds unscathed? She had no answers. All she could do was hope for the best.

She led them back to the cave which was only a couple of miles away from the earthquake. "Do you think dad is alright?" Peaches asked trotting alongside her mother.

"Your father will be fine," Ellie replied.

They reached the mouth of the cave and entered inside. In the middle of the room lay the remains of an egg shell. Ellie frowned. As far as she knew, no bird made their homes within caves nor did they lay giant eggs. "What's the matter?" Peaches asked.

Crash and Eddie climbed off Ellie's back and chased each other around the cave, but stopped when they noticed the troubled expression on her face. "What's wrong? Are we in trouble?" The two exchanged glances and dropped to the ground motionless.

Peaches used her trunk to awaken the opossums. "That won't fool us."

"We're going to have to think of something new, Eddie," Crash said.

"Save it for later you two. There's something wrong about this cave, look at that egg. Well... the remains of it," Ellie said, pointing at the egg remains before them. "Something hatched out of it."

Crash and Eddie advanced towards the egg, treading carefully as if afraid the egg shells would come alive. "That must have been one giant bird to lay an egg like this," Eddie said, attempting to pick up one of the pieces. The large size of the egg shell was too much for him. He fell backwards onto the ground and laughed. Crash soon joined in the maddened laughter.

"Keep your voices down, something is coming!" Ellie hissed.

The opossums fell silent and became stiff. "Should we hide?"

She nodded. "Yes, hide!"

Crash and Eddie looked around themselves searching for a suitable place to hide. They both fixed their gazes on a stalagmite. "We'll hide there." They two scurried to hide leaving the two mammoths.

"Stay close to me Peaches," Ellie warned.

Peaches nodded. "I'm not going anywhere."

A large male sabre entered the cave. At first, she thought it was Diego, but one look at his eyes and she knew it wasn't. This sabre had blood red eyes. He stared at them, his eyes devoid of any emotion. "Look what we have here two mammoths." He took a few steps forward, a smirk on his face. "And here I thought I'd seen the last one..."

Ellie tightened her jaw. Had he encountered Manny? "What do you want?" She didn't dare look to see where the opossums were. Three other sabres joined the lead male. Their eyes stared at her then to Peaches with hunger. Instinct caused her to step forward and push Peaches behind her. "You're not having my daughter for dinner," she spat.

"We don't intend to eat you..." the lead male spoke. His eyes fell upon Peaches. "You look familiar..." He looked closer into her eyes. Then it hit him. She had the same eyes as Manny, the mammoth that killed him. The corners of his mouth curved upwards into a smirk. "This changes things." Once again he moved forward.

Ellie stepped back. "What do you mean?"

His eyes lingered on her face. "You're connected to Manny aren't you? Don't lie to me, I know those eyes," he said, glancing down briefly at the younger mammoth. "You're going to help me find him."

"Why would I want to do that?"

He drew closer baring his teeth. "Disagree and you and your daughter will fill up our stomachs. Agree and you live," he said. "Your choice."

Ellie's eyes flickered over the four sabres as she contemplated her next move. There was no way she could fight four sabres. One could be handled, but four? Impossible! She glanced at her daughter. Her eyes were wide with fright. She would not place her child in danger. "Why do you want to find Manny?"

"Manny travels with a sabre called Diego. Diego is an old friend of ours, I would like to meet him again," he replied.

There was something about his words that filled her with uneasiness, but he had placed her in a tight situation. She suspected this sabre wanted to harm her friends and family. Unfortunately, she didn't have another option. For now, she had to play it safe. "Fine. We'll come up with you." She hoped the opossums were smart enough to remain hidden.

His smirk widened. "Excellent. Oscar! Zeke! Lenny! Check every inch of this cave and ensure this mammoth doesn't have spies." The three sabres behind him split in different directions sniffing the ground for traces of living flesh.

One of the sabres jerked its head up. "I've caught scent of something!" He leaped forward behind a stalagmite and brought his head down. Seconds later, he brought it up again but the excitement in his eyes had faded. "It's nothing, Soto. Just two dead opossums." Ellie fought the urge to sigh with relief. The opossums might be small, but their defence mechanisms worked wonders.

Soto sighed. "Let us leave then, we have a lot of miles to cover." He led the way out of the cave, Ellie and Peaches following behind. The other three sabres surrounded her preventing any possible means of escape. As they exited, she cast one forlorn glance at the opossums and hoped they'd survive without her.

.

After Shira had finished her meal, Sid turned around and walked over to her. "So what's your name?" In the corner of his eye, he looked at Diego wondering if the big cat was listening.

She wiped her face with the back of a paw before responding, "Shira."

"That's a nice name," Sid replied, settling down beside her. He rested the back of his head on her body and crossed one leg over the other. "Where are your friends?"

Shira lowered her head onto her paws. "I don't have friends."

Sid sat up. "No friends?"

She shook her head. "My..." She stole a quick glance at Diego then swallowed, "my pack died." His ears perked up, but dropped as fast as they had. "Humans drove us off."

"How did you survive?"

"I was a teenager at the time. I managed to escape the conflict with my mother. Unfortunately, she was injured during the escape." She sniffed, as if recalling the memories right now. "A spear had pierced her side. She told me to flee, despite my wishes to remain at her side," Shira added, a tear rolling down her cheek. Drawing in a deep breath, she continued. "From that day on I've been alone."

Sid brought a hand to his heart and sniffed, wiping away tears from his eyes with his free claw. "That's so sad!" He wrapped his arms around her neck then pulled away. "It's alright Shira we are your friends now."

A warm smile crossed her face. "If you don't mind me asking, how did you three come together?" Again she looked at Diego, but he refused to acknowledge her. Hurt, she turned to face the friendliest of her new companions.

"Well it's quite strange really. I like to think that fate brought us together. We were migrating south and I was left behind by my family," Sid said, recalling the memory. It brought a smile to his face even though he had been rejected. It reminded him of just how much time had passed. "Two Brontops attacked me but Manny saved me. I followed him even though he didn't want to be followed at the time," he added, catching Manny's eye.

Manny rolled his eyes. "I tried to get rid of the sloth numerous times, but he's quite persistent."

"And what about him?" she asked, glancing at Diego.

Sid followed her gaze. "You can tell her."

The cat looked at Manny and Sid. Both their eyes told him he had to explain. He sighed. "I was part of a pack. Don't know if you've heard of Soto before, but he was my leader. We were searching for a group of humans for revenge. They had taken away Soto's mate and we planned to act in kind by eating the chief's baby son. I had the opportunity to take the child, but I failed and as punishment, I was ordered to find and retrieve the baby." It felt strange explaining such detail to a stranger.

"Then Diego convinced us to let him travel with us to find the human, but all he wanted to do was lead his pack to ambush us," Sid said. "We found out about his plan at Soto's gang attacked us. It was a vicious fight," he said, attempting to act out some of the moves used during the battle. "It didn't appear to go in our favour, but Diego turned on Soto saving Manny. We won the battle and Soto died." Sid shrugged. "Oh, and we returned the child to its parents. That's how we became friends."

How odd, she thought. "That's nice."

"You mentioned you were eager to see us. Why?" Diego demanded, fixing his intense predatory eyes on her. He wanted to confirm his suspicious.

A light red tinge of red blush formed on her cheeks. She dropped her gaze, as if embarrassed to share with them her intentions. After the cold greeting she received from him, she didn't want him to know. "I... uh..." Darn. She cursed herself for not thinking of an excuse earlier. "I just wanted to meet another sabre, that's all." She forced a grin hoping her answer would suffice.

Sid seemed satisfied, but Manny and Diego were suspicious. Manny was beginning to think Shira was simply looking for a partner – like he had. He forced himself to not grin. If that was her intention, she was going to have a difficult time. He wasn't going to mention it out aloud though, not in front of the poor girl. "I think we should have a party!" Sid exclaimed.

"A party?" Diego repeated, thoughts broken. "This is no time to party Sid."

Manny agreed with Diego's sentiments. "Have you forgotten about those dark mammals?"

Shira's eyes perked. "Dark mammals?"

Sid was quick to offer a response. "They're evil versions of us."

"Evil versions?"

Diego nodded. "That's why we have to keep moving."

"Where are you going exactly?"

Manny offered an explanation. "To reunite with my family."

"You can come with us. I'm sure Ellie will be happy to see another female," Sid said. "And you can meet Peaches, their daughter. She's so adorable! Almost as cute as me!" he smiled.

Diego rolled his eyes. "Yeah, you keep telling yourself that." He turned his back to the herd and looked forward. "We have to keep Manny. Those dark ones might find us."

Manny nodded. "But what about Shira? We can't leave her behind."

Feeling taken aback by the kindness they were showing her, Shira felt it was best if she left them. "No... it's alright. You can go on without me." She glanced down at her injury. "Besides, I'll only slow you down." She remained flat on her belly, trying to ignore the pang of sadness welling up inside. "Thanks for everything."

Diego almost sighed with relief. "Then it's settled. We part now."

.

Yay an update! Chapter took me quite a few hours to write, I hope it was enjoyable. Anyone else wishing it was July already? Don't think I can wait much longer. I hope you are enjoying the story so far! What do you think will happen to Shira? As always reviews much appreciated!


	6. Fixing Mistakes

**Disclaimer**

I do not own Ice Age unfortunately

**Title**

The Edge of Darkness

**Summary**

A dark evil has been unleashed upon the world, enveloping it in shadow. Now the herd must embark on a dangerous journey to unearth the source and end it.

**Special Thanks**

Shira4596, KaylaDestroyer and StelzaRinator for reviewing the previous chapter! I hope you enjoy it!

**.**

**Chapter Five: Fixing Mistakes**

Shira retreated from the herd, ignoring the pang of sadness inside. She wanted to collapse and break down, but thought the male sabre would think less of her if she did. Not that it really mattered; it wasn't as if she'd see him again... right? He was relieved to see her go she could see it in his eyes. She didn't understand what made Diego so cold and shielded. Was he scared of female companionship? Or was it something deeper? She'd never know.

A shadow passed her. She arched her neck back and glanced up at the sky. Two vultures, a male and female, soared above her circling each other until they were just a dot above. She smiled to herself, then wiped a tears away from her eyes. Watching the pair made her feel lonely and lost. She found what she was looking for, a male sabre, but he wanted nothing to do with her. His cold rejection hurt her, making her feel small and worthless.

Just what was his problem anyway?

An image of her mother appeared in her mind. She was also a grey sabre; all the females in her pack were. She remembered her mother licking her fur, cleaning it of dirt before singing her a soft lullaby to help her sleep at night. Shira smiled at the memory and wished her mother was there right now to protect and guide her. She knew everything, in particular how to deal with male sabres. Her mother never let males bring her down or get the best of her.

Why couldn't she be like her mother?

She continued to walk leaving deep footprints in the snow, not caring to cover up her tracks. If she died out here so be it. It wasn't like there would be anyone to grieve over her death. As she walked, she caught the overpowering scent of meat fill her nostrils. Her ears perked. Her eyes were wide with alert. She sniffed the air and caught the scent of one – no, at least twenty animals – lying dead. Her stomach rumbled. It was then she realized just how hungry she was.

Spurred on by the encouragement of food, Shira forced herself to walk. Normally, sabres didn't eat dead prey killed by others, but she didn't have a choice. She was still hungry. Food was energy. But at least this time she didn't have to hunt... nor would anyone have to hunt for her. Her stomach growled again, urging her to walk faster despite the pain she felt. She'd fill her stomach first then rest.

After that, she'd decide to seek out other male sabres.

.

They wandered through the bleak frozen wilderness, battling the cold elements. For the mammoths, their thick layer of hair kept the worst of the cold away. The sabres weren't as fortunate. Three of them shivered as the wind brushed up against their bodies. They crowded together hoping body heat would keep them warm. Soto, however, seemed unharmed.

"It's so cold," Zeke complained, his teeth chattering. Soto glared at him, his eyes burning with cold fury. Zeke swallowed a mouthful of air and spoke no further, afraid of what might happen. Soto was always cruel, but this Soto was different.

Unlike the sabres, Peaches didn't know what Soto was like before. All she knew was that he was a horrible sabre using them as bait. She didn't like it. Before she could stop herself, she blurted out an outburst. "We're going to freeze to death if we don't find a place to rest!" she complained.

Soto stopped. "Are you questioning me?" he asked his voice low and dangerously calm.

Peaches rolled her eyes. "You have no idea what you are doing; you're just leading us around in circles with no real plan at all," she said, growing more confident with each word that left her mouth. The confident expression on her face faded when Soto jumped and landed directly in front of her. He was shorter than her, but something told Peaches he was deadly. She took a step back, feeling unsure of herself.

A wide sneer crossed Soto's face. "You spoke out of line and now you will face the consequences of your stupidity." He circled around Peaches, a smirk on his face. The other three sabres watched with interest.

Peaches tried to keep a brave face, but her eyes were wide with fear. She glanced down at his claws then at his teeth and trembled. "Please don't hurt me..."

The sabre beared his teeth and emitted a deep growl. "Stand here." He lifted a paw and pointed at a spot before him. Peaches looked at her mother with wide eyes.

Ellie turned to face Soto, an expression of utmost hatred on her face. "Keep my daughter out of this!" Ellie said her voice low with controlled rage. "I should be the one you punish. Don't you dare lay a hand on her."

The leader looked at her, a bemused expression in his eyes. He cast a quick glance at Peaches, then focused his attention on Ellie. "Mothers."

Ellie ignored his comment. She pushed her daughter aside and stood in front of her protectively. "Close your eyes Peaches, I don't want you to see this," she ordered. Peaches nodded and squeezed her eyes shut.

Soto drew back a paw and struck Ellie across her trunk, his sharp claws creating a deep visible wound. Blood seeped out of the cut and onto the snow, dying it a deep shade of red. The pain seared through her body, but she knew she couldn't show any sign of weakness before this tyrant. She held her ground and glared at the male sabre.

Peaches cowered at her side, wrapping her trunk around her mother's left foreleg. She whimpered her now open eyes blurred with tears. "Mum!"

Ellie winced with pain, but fought back the tears that threatened to spill. She would not break in front of Soto; she had to remain strong for her daughter. They were going to get out of this situation. "Don't cry," she said softly. "Everything's going to be ok."

"Continue to disobey me and I'll make sure you'll receive more wounds and next time Peaches will suffer," Soto threatened. He turned his attention to the three male sabres. "And don't you think you can question me otherwise you'll face the same treatment." He turned his back and moved to the front of the group, continuing to lead them through the cold.

Wrapping her trunk around Peaches' side, Ellie brought her daughter closer to her body. She felt her daughter's damp tears sink into her fur. She remained quiet though, knowing sabres had excellent hearing. But the look she gave her daughter covered what needed to be said – they needed to find a way to escape and soon before harm came to Manny and her friends.

.

After leaving Shira behind, the trio focused their efforts on searching for Manny's family. Catching a scent of the mammoths was proving to be difficult for Diego and he was beginning to believe the female sabre scent was messing up his tracking ability. He was leading the herd in no direction at all. If he continued to rely on his superior sense of smell, he would lead them back to Shira.

Suddenly, Sid jumped up and down. What on earth? "This is no time to be dancing, Sid!" Diego snapped.

The sloth stopped 'dancing' and looked at Diego, a pensive expression on his face. "I smell a sloth! My family!" he declared, eyes beginning to water.

"Your family?" Manny repeated, giving Diego a sideways look. Sid was a great friend, but he didn't think he could handle anymore Sid's.

Sid nodded. "Yeah!"

"I thought they abandoned you?" Manny asked.

Sid nodded again. "Yeah, they migrated without me..." He sniffed the air again, "but that's them alright. Zack, Marshall, Bertie, Uncle Fungus, Eunice... and... grandma?" His eyes widened with surprise at the familiar scent. "I haven't seen grandma in years!"

Manny and Diego exchanged worried glances. Was this a good thing or a bad thing? They were never certain with Sid. "Is that something we should be concerned about?" Diego asked with caution.

"She's a bit crazy... mum thinks I got my horrible genes from her," Sid explained, frowning slightly. "I wonder why they are here? Maybe they've come to their senses and want to apologize!" He smiled at the thought. Diego wasn't so sure about that – perhaps Sid's family returned to pass granny onto Sid's care. It was possible.

Six sloths appeared before them. Three were young, younger than Sid. The young sloths looked at Sid, pleased grins on their faces. They charged at him, and chased him around in circles while the adults looked on. The young adult female spoke. "Sid, this isn't a happy occasion. You're taking grandma away from us and we're going to move on without you." One of the young sloths poked Sid in the stomach.

Diego looked at the family of sloths, with a soft grin on his face. Sid and his relatives might not get on, but they shared the same blood. He briefly wondered what it would be like to have his own family. A brief image of four sabre cubs running around him caused a smile to cross his face. What would it be like to have younger versions of him to guide and watch over? Was he even capable of being a decent father?

He shut his eyes, shook his head and pushed those thoughts aside. He was a bachelor; single and proud. The thought of being tied down to a mate and cubs didn't sit well with him at all. What if the relationship didn't last? What if she decided to abandon him? Then he'd be alone once again. Or, what if she died? He'd be the one left alone to bear those hurts and pain. Not everyone had to have a mate. He had his herd, his pride and that's all that mattered... right?

But no matter how hard he tried to find the positives of single life, the voice in the back of his head told him he was a coward and running away from true joy. "Diego, you'll never know unless you take a chance," Manny said, snapping Diego out of his thoughts.

Diego jerked his head at Manny and frowned. Manny had caught him staring at the sloth family, how embarrassing. "I don't know what you're talking about." He tried to play it cool, but Manny knew him too well to fall for that.

"You're wondering what it's like to have a family of your own," Manny replied.

Diego glanced back at the sloth family. Sid was now running around in circles chasing his younger brothers and sisters, laughing as he ran. Diego averted his gaze. "It's not going to happen."

"You don't know that for sure."

The sabre gave Manny a forlorn long. "I don't do love Manny." He didn't feel like he deserved it. "I betrayed my own species, what makes you think I deserve a chance?"

"Everyone deserves a second chance." A silence fell between the two mammals, each lost in their own thoughts. Diego felt lonely, but it wasn't something he wanted to admit. The silence continued until Manny decided to speak again. "Don't you miss being with your own species?"

Diego halted and glanced over his shoulder. "No."

"I don't believe that."

Diego sighed. "What are you trying to get at?"

"Don't ruin your only chance at a joyous life."

"I'm happy, I've got you guys," he said, forcing a grin. "I'm not with the pack anymore," he added.

Manny lifted his trunk and pointed towards the north. "Somewhere out there my mate and daughter are alone and they mean everything to me. You and Sid are my best friends and I trust you with my life, but I wasn't complete. I felt like there was something missing. Ellie and Peaches have filled that void. It's something I can't explain to you," he said, bring his trunk back down. He looked at the sabre and noticed he had fallen quiet, a thoughtful expression on his face. "Don't let her go without giving it a chance. I thought Ellie was a lost cause and now look at us."

Diego sighed again. "What do you propose I do? She probably hates me now." With good reason no doubt, he thought. He didn't exactly make her feel welcome.

"Find her and apologize. Invite her to rejoin us."

"What if she doesn't want to?"

Manny smiled. "I doubt she'll say no. She might not be happy with you, but something tells me she's not going to turn you down." The mammoth glanced over at Sid. The sloth was now lying on the floor spinning around in circles, much to the joy of the younger sloths. Crazy sloth, he thought. "Sid and I will continue to walk, but I'm sure you'll catch up to us quickly." Diego acknowledged Manny's words with a nod. "Thanks Manny."

He looked back where they had left Shira. He knew she can't have travelled far, not with the injury she had. Would she welcome him back or attempt to attack him? Only one way to find out. He turned away from his herd and trotted back towards they parted with Shira. Not surprisingly, she wasn't there anymore.

He lowered his head towards the ground searching for tracks. It didn't take him long to find sabre footprints in the snow. Perfect. He broke out into a steady sprint and soon found her limping through the snow. "Shira!" he called out.

Hearing his voice, the female sabre tried to quicken her pace but her injury slowed her down. "What do you want?" she snapped, as he trotted up beside her. "Have you returned just to chase me further away?" she added, trying to conceal the hurt in her voice.

He shook his head, flattening his hears against his head. "I wanted to apologize for the way I treated you before," he said slowly, watching her expression. Her face remained cold. He tried again. "It was wrong of me, I know."

Her eyes met his. "Then why did you?"

He hung his head in shame. "I didn't know how to act. I haven't seen a female sabre in a long time."

"I'm no threat to you."

"I understand that." He lifted his head. "Would you like to rejoin the herd?"

She cocked her head, trying to decide whether he was being sincere or not. She could not detect any sign of hostility from his eyes and decided he was honest. "I would be honoured," she replied with caution. She didn't trust him fully, but at least he hadn't attacked her this time.

A warm grin crossed his face. "Great. We'd better get moving though, this is a dangerous area." Without speaking another word, Shira followed Diego back to the herd.

.

So how'd you find the chapter? Happy to see Diego and Shira together again? What will happen to Ellie and Peaches? What role will the Crash and Eddie play? Will Sid ever win the love of his family? More to be revealed in the next chapter! As always, reviews much appreciated!


	7. New Alliances

**Disclaimer**

I do not own Ice Age unfortunately

**Title**

The Edge of Darkness

**Summary**

A dark evil has been unleashed upon the world, enveloping it in shadow. Now the herd must embark on a dangerous journey to unearth the source and end it.

**Special Thanks**

After about a month, I finally got around to writing this chapter. Thanks must go to MiGoreng, Moonshadow0501, Guest, shira4596, bridget, StelzaRinator, Lou, kitkat342 and KaylaDestroyer for reviewing the previous chapter : ) I hope you enjoy this one.

**.**

**Chapter Six: New Alliances**

Hundreds of corpses lay scattered on the snow, decomposing under the strong rays of the sun. A large number of vultures sat around the corpses, their naked necks plunging into the flesh of the dead. Pink skin became red as the vultures feasted eating as much as their stomachs could take. Lone Gunslinger landed on top of a fresh corpse, his massive black feathered wings batting other vultures away from his meal.

He ignored their petty squabbles; there was no point in fighting when food was abundant. Placing a talon on the young calf deer, he lowered his head and dug his beak into the animal's hide. The hook at the end of his beak tore apart the flesh with ease. Blood leaked out of the incision and the vulture dug his neck deeper eager for a piece of meat.

"How rude eating without me," said a female voice.

Lone Gunslinger lifted his head from the corpse and glanced sideways. A large unknown female had landed next to him. He observed her with scrutinizing eyes. She was clean for a vulture; not a speck of blood or dirt was visible on her body. Her feathers were in prime condition almost having a shine to them. Strange how he had never seen her before. "Of course... how rude of me not to wait for the lady," he said, voice laced with a mocking tone. "I've never seen you around before."

"I don't belong to this flock of vultures," she replied. "I'm here on a visit." She hopped over to the corpse and tore a scrap of flesh for herself, swallowing it whole without getting a spot of blood on her neck. A clean elegant female, how odd for a vulture, thought Lone Gunslinger as he continued to watch her eat. Instead of throwing herself at the meal like other vultures did, she carefully pulled pieces of meat away one at a time. "What?" she asked.

"Are you afraid of getting your feathers dirty?" he said, eyes sparkling with amusement.

She rolled her eyes. "I think of it as devouring a meal in a neat and tidy fashion." She lifted a wing and pointed to the squabbling vultures around them. A group of five were fighting over a corpse sending feathers flying in all directions. "Look at them they're stooping down to the level of sabres! See what mess they make?" she said. Two of the vultures were covered in blood from head to tail with various pieces of hide stuck to them.

Lone Gunslinger shook his tail, lifted a leg and stuck out his right wing. "You must be the only vulture that doesn't want to make a mess." He hopped to her side and placed his left wing around her. Then spoke again, "So where are you from?"

She moved out of his wing embrace. "We have company." She pointed to the sky. A male vulture approached them. He looked like any other vulture; black feathers, pink naked neck and white neck ruff except this one had a few feathers missing around the front of his ruff. He held his wings back then landed beside Lone Gunslinger. "Have you heard about the legend of the egg and the earthquake?" the male vulture asked ignoring the female.

Lone Gunslinger tried to keep the annoyance in his voice restrained. "What are you talking about?"

The male folded his wings. "Well, my grandfather told me one day the earth would part and evil doers would walk the land searching to kill and maim as they desired. A leader of this army would awaken in an eggshell made of magical components," he said, moving closer to the corpse. "A wave of death would occur and soon all animals will litter the ground, and meat eating animals would die." His eyes sparkled with excitement, but also with fear. He lifted a wing and pointed to the dead animals. "It's happening now."

Rolling his eyes and snorting gently, Lone Gunslinger replied to her comment, "Don't be a fool that is just a story to scare little vultures."

The female shook her head. "No, it's all true. I heard it too."

He gave her an incredulous look. "And you both believe this? You have no proof."

"The signs are all there – look at the number of deaths, that's not natural. Even a pack of sabres and wolves combined could not kill so many in a day," the female spoke in a voice barely louder than a whisper. "And they wouldn't anyway, they only kill when they're hungry not for a blood sport," she added.

Wise girl, Lone Gunslinger thought. "Does it matter? It means we have more food," he said, his tone becoming impatient.

The other male stood in front of Lone Gunslinger, his talons resting on the corpse. "If this continues there will be no food for us all!" He opened his wings. "Our glorious food supply will disappear and we'll perish!"

That was a good point. The lead vulture frowned, "If this is tale is true, then how do we stop them?" He looked from one vulture to the other waiting for an answer.

"It's believed the blood of a noble mammal will stop those with evil souls," the vulture replied. "Of course, tough luck trying to convince a mammal to give up their lives to save the rest of the world," he added with a frown.

Lone Gunslinger thought hard about the vulture's tale. If it were true then they were facing a potential colossal disaster. But why were the mammals here? Why now? "Why are they here? What caused them to awaken now?"

The other vulture looked thoughtful, trying hard to recall the words of his grandfather. After several minutes he spoke, "It only happens during an earthquake. Souls of the damned and the cursed rise up from the crack and a leader is reborn in a giant egg. Dark energy fuels them and every kill grants them strength."

The female vulture shuddered, drawing her neck closer to her body. Lone Gunslinger felt the urge to wrap a wing around her to comfort her but decided against it. Rather, he focused his attention on the other male waiting for more information. "What is a damned soul?"

"The damned souls belong to animals that made wrong decisions that ultimately led to their downfall and cursed souls are those that seem to run into trouble every day of their lives," the vulture explained. "Good things might happen to them, but they are rare."

"And what's a noble soul?"

"A mammal that has made mistakes before but realizes them now and hopes to redeem themselves. Only their blood can stop the evil. The trouble is convincing one to sacrifice themselves for the greater good." He spread his wings and flapped them gently, exercising them in preparation for flight. "I need to go now, but I thought I should tell you. You're our leader, we except you to save us." He launched into the air and flew away leaving the two vultures alone.

"What are you going to do?"

Was this tale even true? He didn't have any proof, but he figured someone might have come across some. He stretched out his wings, turned his head towards the female and nodded, "I'm going to seek answers elsewhere." Without saying goodbye, he flew into the clear blue sky and started to look for the mammals that belonged to that weird herd. Perhaps they had seen something out of the ordinary on their adventures... they seemed like the type.

.

"Where are we going?" asked Oscar. They seemed to be heading in no particular direction; Soto wandered in one then went another way. What thoughts were running through his head, Oscar wondered but he didn't dare ask.

"Yeah, I thought we were hunting," Lenny said pulling a sour face. His stomach grumbled loud enough for all to hear.

"With that stomach we'll be lucky to find any sort of prey," Zeke muttered, trotting behind Soto on the left flank. He glanced over his shoulder and looked at the youngest mammoth, "I don't see why we can't eat at least one of them."

Drool dribbled down the side of Lenny's mouth. "I want the small one."

Zeke frowned. "I want her!"

"They're not for eating," Oscar snapped.

Both sabres grumbled, but dared not argue with Oscar especially with Soto so close. But the lead male didn't seem the least bit interested in their petty squabbles his eyes were focused on the road ahead. He sniffed the air twice. "Did you catch the scent of something?" Oscar asked.

"Blood... fresh meat up ahead."

Lenny and Zeke exchanged excited looks and quickened their pace eager to find the food. Their stomachs growled and even Oscar felt his stomach stir. But unlike his two friends, he managed to control his appetite. Control was essential; it was the difference between life and death. Unfortunately his friends lacked self control and raced ahead unable to control their excitement at the prospect of a meal.

Soto chased after them, his speed increasing with each step. Oscar trailed behind ensuring Ellie and Peaches were following. They wouldn't dare escape if they knew they were watched. After all, they were defenceless and terrain was flat and open; taking advantage of the surroundings would not help them here.

Soon, Oscar and the two mammoths caught up with the rest of the pack. He heard Ellie gasp behind him, but paid no attention to her concerns. He was mesmerized yet horrified at the scene before him. What was once white ground was now dyed a deep shade of red with countless numbers of slaughtered mammals lying on the snow. He felt bile rise in his throat and fought hard to keep it down. Blood didn't make him queasy, but seeing hundreds of dead mammals decapitated did.

"No..." Ellie whispered, "we were just here before..." She saw the giant crack which split the earth and remembered separating from Manny.

Oscar jerked his head in her direction. "What are you talking about?"

It was Peaches who answered. "An earthquake happened and three mammals stepped out." She lifted a quivering trunk and pointed in front of them, "That's them there!"

Oscar turned to face whatever she was pointing at. His eyes widened. Three mammals in the middle of the slaughter; a mammoth, a sloth and a sabre which looked like normal mammals except for their blood red eyes. He was reminded of Soto who also shared that bizarre appearance. Soto, Zeke and Lenny stared at the odd trio, while Oscar and the mammoths kept their distance.

The next event happened so quickly Oscar almost missed the action. Soto threw his head back and growled, before charging towards the red-eyed sabre. The Diego look-a-like growled back and charged, head low teeth bared. Their impact was immediate.

Soto flung himself at the sabre, claws outstretched and ready to tear. He landed on the other sabre, his weight knocking him to the ground. He opened his jaws and lowered his head to sink his canines in, but the other sabre fought back. With a free paw, he swatted Soto in the face slashing the flesh beneath the eye drawing blood.

Zeke and Lenny ran forward to help their leader, but Oscar stood back eyes wide open with fear. In the corner of his eye he saw the two mammoths looking fearful. There was only one thing to do now... run. Oscar turned to Ellie and jerked his head to the right, "We're leaving, come on." He started to sprint, stopping for a short second to see if they were following. They were. "Quickly, before they notice."

The mammoths broke into a sprint and followed Oscar as best as they could. The sounds of battle followed them, the snarls of sabres echoing in their heads. Driven by adrenaline, the mammals covered ground creating a good distance between them and Soto. They continued to run until Oscar came to a sudden stop.

Panting, the cat looked over his shoulder. "We're safe for now," he said.

Ellie kept her distance from the sabre. She didn't trust him. "Why did you do that?"

He glanced at her, a frown on his face. "Would you rather be a corpse on the ground, a feast for vultures?"

"No, but you turned your back on your leader to help his prey."

Now Oscar knew how Diego felt, but understood his reasons why. Soto wasn't Soto, well not fully, but Oscar was reminded of Soto's cold nature except he couldn't reason. He was driven by desire for revenge. He could see the lust for blood in his red eyes. "He's not who I think he is, not anymore."

His thoughts drifted to Zeke and Lenny his faithful companions. They were fools to assist; now they were probably lying dead on the battlefield. But he could not mourn for the dead, they needed to keep moving to increase their chances of survival. He stood up and started moving north. "There's no time to talk; we need to continue moving." And so they walked.

.

Alone, scared and vulnerable. Three simple words, yet powerful. Two opossums wandering the snow covered terrain in dangerous territory. Their beloved Ellie and Peaches were both gone, completely at the mercy of four sabres. And Manny? He was somewhere else searching for his family with Sid and Diego. "Crash, I'm scared," Eddie said, wrapping his thin naked tail around his small body.

His brother nodded and stepped closer to Eddie. "So am I Crash..." The two opossums shivered and hugged each other, their eyes facing skywards as if they feared something would fall upon their heads. Something did fall, a large shadow. They look up and noticed a sole vulture flying low, its beady eyes fixed on them.

"Vulture!" Eddie looked up, saw the vulture and fainted. Crash ran to his brother's side and grabbed him. "Eddie! Don't leave me!"

Eddie didn't respond.

Crash covered his eyes with a free limb and wept.

The vulture changed direction and dove towards them landing a foot away from the opossums. The bird's weight forced him to stumble forwards. Using his wings he flapped to support himself, generating enough wind power to knock over Crash. Crash opened his eyes and glared at the big bird. "Stay away from my brother, I will not let you eat him!" He grabbed hold of his tail and pretended to use it like a sword.

Lone Gunslinger shook his head. "I don't eat trash." He examined the opossum... and remembered his face. He cocked his head sideways then spoke, "I remember you... you travelled with that mismatched herd. What happened to them, were they killed?"

Crash shook his head. "N-no," he stuttered. Talking to a predator that had the ability to drop him from a great height made him skittish. "We were separated by an earthquake... then a sabre with red eyes took Ellie and Peaches away... and-" The vulture raised a wing cutting the opossum of.

"You don't need to tell me everything, I've heard this all before," he said recalling the legend about the dark ones. A nasty bunch of creatures they were with blood red eyes full of thirst for death. He too killed but only when it was necessary. Killing wasn't a sport to him.

"What do you want with us?"

"Believe it or not I'm here to help you."

Crash forced a grin. "Why would you want to help us?"

"Because I'm a kindred spirit with a desire to help the unfortunate?" the vulture offered, cocking his head to one side. The opossum bit his bottom lip. "Look, those mammals with the red eyes are a threat to our food source. If they kill every living thing, we won't have anything to eat in the future."

"That's not a bad thing."

"I take offense to that, vultures are important. We clean up the dead."

Eddie stirred, a soft groan escaping his throat. Crash peered down at his brother and spoke, "Eddie? Eddie! You're alive!" He bent down and hugged his brother.

"What's happening?" he asked, eyes opening slowly. His vision was blurry at first, but he could make out the form of a vulture. That made him alert. "Crash, there's a vulture right there! Play dead!" He dropped to the ground, eyes closed and lay motionless.

"Alright brother!" Crash dropped down next to his brother.

Lone Gunslinger flared his nostrils then placed a talon on Eddie. "I'm not falling for that." He grasped his talon around the 'dead' opossum, lifted him in the air and shook releasing the mammal.

"Plan B, throw dung!" Eddie declared, reaching a hand below his tail. His hand found nothing worthwhile. "I have no dung!"

"Me neither!"

"What do we do now?"

"We're going to die!"

The opossums fell against each other sobbing, their hands wrapped around the other's waistline. Lone Gunslinger was losing patience fast. "I can help you find your herd."

Both opossums stopped their dramatic crying. "You can?" Eddie asked.

"You will?" Crash added.

"Don't make me change my mind. We're on the same side here. Climb on and hold tight, there's a lot of turbulence." The opossums looked at each other and nodded. They climbed onto the vulture's talons and gripped feather-covered legs. Lone Gunslinger spread his wings and launched into the air. Flapping hard to gain speed, he flew through the crisp cool sky in a northern direction.

Time was of the essence.

.

I had a lot of fun writing this chapter, especially the parts with the vultures. You will be seeing more of them in the future because I love vultures. It's a shame Lone Gunslinger doesn't have any stories about him... although I plan to change that; I believe I have written the first.

If you're wondering where the Diego/Shira goodness is, it's coming in the next chapter. In fact, most of the next chapter is centred on them. As always, reviews much appreciated : )


	8. Common Ground

**Disclaimer**

I do not own Ice Age unfortunately

**Title**

The Edge of Darkness

**Summary**

A dark evil has been unleashed upon the world, enveloping it in shadow. Now the herd must embark on a dangerous journey to unearth the source and end it.

**Special Thanks**

Guest, Iloveurwriting, shira4596, DGMSilverAirHead03, StelzaRinator, KaylaDestroyer, starkid, kitkat342, Lou and to overcome reality for reviewing the previous chapter! Sorry it took over a month to update. I hope you enjoy.

**.**

**Chapter Seven: Common Ground**

Being alone with Shira was an odd experience for Diego. Having lacked female companionship for a majority of his life, Diego was unsure of how to act around her. He might've eased the tension between them, but he still felt awkward. Ideas on how to start a conversation rushed through his mind, but none seemed fitting. Somehow talking to Shira about the weather didn't seem appealing. It was times like these he wished Sid was there. The sloth would know how to start a conversation, after all talking was his strongest point.

The two sabres continued to walk in silence, the sound of their footsteps being the only noise. Diego glanced to his right, his eyes resting on Shira's face. She was focused on the road ahead, oblivious to his gaze. Diego was secretly thankful she hadn't noticed; the thought of being caught staring was embarrassing. "Diego, why did you leave your pack?" Shira asked, turning her head slightly to look at him. "You told me about Soto, but you never explained why you turned on him."

That caught him off guard. "I realized the errors of my leader's ways," Diego replied. Soto was difficult to work with; he never smiled out of joy. He wore a permanent scowl on his face, giving everyone the impression he was a cold and ruthless.

"And then you joined the herd?"

He cast his eyes downwards remembering the day he led his true friends into an ambush. The expressions on their faces hurt and made him realize they were his real friends. "I didn't mention it before but Manny saved my life. I led them into an ambush, yet he still protected me from harm." He closed his eyes for a brief second then reopened them again only to find Shira's eyes staring into his own. "What about you? What happened to your pack? You mentioned they were killed by humans."

Shira sighed. "I only told you a small part of it. My pack died because of me. Humans hunted us... for me. My fur is unique and the humans wanted it for their own purposes. When I was born, I was mocked by the other sabre cubs for having grey fur. The elder sabres believed I was cursed and I would bring bad luck to them on hunting trips, so they excluded me from everyday life. Only my parents cared for me." She turned her head to the right and sniffed. "The humans hunted us... well, to be more specific they hunted me. They were after my fur."

"And they killed your family?"

"They killed my father first, then the rest of the sabres turned on me. My mother hid me in a cave and gave me food after each hunt just so I would survive until the next day. She didn't blame me for father's death, but she knew I couldn't stay. I made the decision to leave that day and it's one I'll never forget." She sniffed, a teardrop sliding down her face.

Diego lifted a paw and placed it on her back in an attempt to provide comfort. Shira jerked her head around, and Diego withdrew his paw quickly. "I'm sorry," he mumbled, eyes looking at the ground, "I don't know what overcame me." His cheeks flushed red, and he looked away hoping Shira didn't see them.

A soft laugh escaped her throat. "Its fine Diego, I don't mind."

Diego kept his paw on the ground, still embarrassed by the earlier event. Her state of vulnerability caused something inside him to awaken; the need to protect the female. "What happened after if you don't mind me asking?"

Wiping her eye with the back of her left paw, Shira took in a deep breath and continued to speak, "Humans came. They attacked my mother just as I planned to leave." She sniffed again. "I blame myself for her death... for my father's death. I still see their deaths play in mind every day."

Diego was speechless. Hearing Shira's words made him realize how lucky he was to have the support of his pack behind him. Soto might've been a tough leader, but he protected the pack as best as he could. But Shira left her pack at a young age to fend for her own without support from anyone. "It must have been difficult learning to look after yourself."

She nodded. "It was. I came across other sabre packs after leaving, but no one wanted anything to do with me. I kept hoping that one day there would be someone out there that would give me the chance." She wiped her eye again and then looked at Diego. "That's how I found you. You're not like other sabres I've come across."

"What do you mean by that?"

She flattened her ears against her head. "At first, you acted like the typical male sabre, but you apologized."

"Are you implying I'm soft?"

Her ears perked. "You are pretty soft for a sabre," she replied, eyes shining with amusement.

Diego narrowed his eyes. "Excuse me, but I happen to be a remorseless assassin." Several beats of silence followed his words, as the two sabres glared at each other. Then, Shira laughed and Diego found himself grinning.

"I haven't laughed in a long time," Shira said.

"You should laugh more often," Diego replied.

A tinge of red appeared on Shira's face as Diego's words sunk in. "Is that an order?" she teased.

"I'm being serious," he said, green eyes gazing into Shira's sapphire orbs. "Laughing pushes aside the pains of the past. It might be a temporary fix, but it helps," he added in a softer tone. "You've been through a lot Shira, more than I have. I don't want to see you hurting." He was surprised with the words he spoke. He hadn't given them much thought; the words seemed to come out of his mouth naturally. Again, he felt a strong surge of emotion rush through his body.

She smiled. "You've been through a great deal as well." She closed her eyes, and rubbed her head against his side taking the male by surprise. She pulled her head back and peered at him with concern. "Is there something wrong?"

He shook his head scolding himself. "I'm not used to ... err, female companionship," he said, his head facing the ground. He couldn't quite bring himself to look into Shira's eyes with those words. It was quite embarrassing.

She grinned. "It certainly shows." She nuzzled him again, chuckling at his sudden movement. "Did your pack not have any females?"

"We had one female; Soto's mate, but she was killed by humans. Soto didn't want to find another female to replace her, so we remained a bachelor group instead." And he remained in a bachelor group when he became a permanent member of the herd until Ellie showed up. The thought of returning to a bachelor lifestyle felt strange now and he wondered how he had survived for so long without companionship of his own species. The conversation with Manny about family flashed in his mind. "Have you... thought about family life at all?" he asked, finding the courage to look at Shira again.

Silence fell between them, as Shira stared at him. Diego wondered if he had said the wrong thing, then remembered she had approached them earlier. "I... er have been thinking about it for quite some time," she admitted, ears flattening against her head again, "and I thought you might be a potential suitor."

Diego had to grin at her words. He wasn't the only awkward one when it came to discussing such matters. "A potential suitor, eh?" Now it was his turn to tease her, but his joyful mood was short lived.

"But I'm not going to settle for someone until he proves himself worthy."

Diego's ego deflated. Had he ruined his chance with her? Wait. What? Diego scolded himself for having such thoughts. He was a proud bachelor enjoying the single life. He didn't need to settle down and have a family. He wasn't Manny. Besides, Shira wasn't interested him in _that _way anyway. She was only searching for a mate for biological reasons. "There's Manny and Sid," Diego said, turning his attention forwards. The hulking figure of Manny wasn't hard to miss. He lowered his eyes to Shira's injured paw, feeling a pang of pain as he was reminded of the way he treated her earlier. "I'd race you back if you weren't injured."

"Good thing I'm injured slightly then – wouldn't want your fragile male ego to be hurt when I get to them first," she replied, giving him a wide grin.

Diego rolled his eyes. "Correction, you'll be the one hurting when I reach them first."

"Typical males; can't admit that female are the better hunters and faster sprinters," Shira said with the shake of her head. "Us girls _do _all the work."

"That's not true, male sabres hunt!"

"Only when they are forced to," Shira retorted.

"We're stronger."

"We're faster."

"Strength is more important than speed."

"Strength doesn't mean anything if you can't catch your prey first."

Diego stopped. She had him there. "Alright, alright you win."

She gave him a wide grin. "You really are a softie." Before Diego could open his mouth to protest, Shira leaned in and gave him a lick behind the neck then winked. "I like the soft ones, they're sensitive." She giggled at his stunned expression then walked ahead leaving a surprised Diego trailing behind. Feeling confidence returning, Diego trotted after Shira, a soft smile on his face. Although their situation was a dire one, at least there was still some light at the end of the tunnel.

.

Travelling with Oscar instead of Diego was a strange experience for Ellie. The only sabre she trusted was Diego, but Oscar had helped them escaped. But why? The thought bothered her. Why save two mammoths? The sabre walked ahead of them, occasionally stopping to sniff the ground. Would he lead them to safety or did he plan to ambush them later? "Why are you helping us, Oscar?" Ellie demanded, planting her feet firmly into the snow. She refused to move forward until he shared the truth.

The sabre stopped, glanced over his shoulder and spoke, "I don't trust Soto. He's not who he once was."

"Then why travel with him? If you had your suspicions, why didn't you leave him earlier?" Peaches snuggled up beside her mother, her eyes watching Oscar wearily.

Oscar shook his head. "Soto died, Ellie. Manny killed him. We travelled as a pack of three for a few months then found him again in an ice cave. There was a giant egg before us and it cracked open revealing Soto... or what I thought was Soto. But it's not him; he can't reason. He lives driven by desire to seek vengeance," he explained, keeping his eyes trained on Ellie's face.

Ellie detected the fear in his predator eyes and knew he was speaking the truth. He was scared, but tried hard not to show it. "That doesn't explain why you chose to help us."

The sabre glanced to his right, then left. "I know you don't trust me, but I swear I'm here to help you. If I didn't want to help, I would've left you behind to face the fury of Soto and those other three. I can help you find your family – that's what you want, right?" he asked.

Oscar raised a good point and Ellie couldn't find any words to disagree with him. But he hadn't earned her trust yet – Diego was the only sabre that she could trust. Besides, she wouldn't have a clue how to find Manny again. She knew nothing about tracking. "Well, thanks for your assistance then."

Silence fell. Each of the mammals were lost within their own thoughts. Ellie wondered if Oscar would be able to find her family again or if he would fail? What if Soto and those other three mammals caught up with them? How would they fight them off? Would it be possible? Questions continued to race through her mind, but she had answers to none of them. "Mum," Peaches said glancing up at her mother's concerned face, "Everything is going to be alright."

Ellie forced a smile for her daughter's sake. She had to be strong for her only child, but she couldn't fight off the fear that something could go wrong. "Peaches... can you promise me something?"

"Anything."

She took in a deep breath and looked at her daughter through blurred eyes. "When the time comes to fight, I want you to run and not look back."

Peaches frowned. "Mum?"

"Please Peaches... don't look back."

"I'm not going to leave you ever, no matter how tough things get. We're a herd, we're family and we stick together," she said, stepping forward staring at her mother with determined eyes. "We always have each other's backs."

Ellie bowed her head. "This is different Peaches; we're not dealing with normal animals. Please... this is an order from your mother." It tore her apart inside to give up so easily, but she couldn't see how they could come out of this with a victory. The last thing she wanted was for Peaches to watch her mother die. "I'm not going to ask you again," she added.

Peaches nodded, sniffing. She lifted her trunk and wrapped it around her mother's, grasping it with a firm hold. She broke apart from her mother when Oscar spoke up. "I hate to spoil the moment but we have company." He arched his neck back and glanced up at the sky. Ellie noticed a shadow above Oscar. The flapping of wings caused her to arch her neck back and glance upwards. There above was a vulture with two opossums attached to his talons. Ellie's eyes widened and she lifted her trunk. "Crash? Eddie?" she called out.

Oscar frowned. "You know them?" Just when he thought things couldn't get any stranger.

The large vulture landed in front of Ellie and Peaches, and tucked his wings in while the two opossums climbed off his talons and hurried towards Ellie. Both the mammals threw their small arms around her foot, rubbing their faces against her thick fur. "We're so glad to see you again sis!"

"Sister?" Now Oscar was truly confused.

Peaches gave Oscar a sideways long. "It's a long story."

"We thought the nasty sabres were going to kill you sis!" Crash said, pulling his head away from Ellie's thick fur.

"We feared we had lost you forever!" Eddie wailed, giving a dramatic sigh.

Lone Gunslinger rolled his eyes. "I had to listen to their complaints and random babbling for at least an hour," he mumbled, glancing down at the opossums, "but I'm here to tell you of some important information regarding our situation." He stretched out his left wing and lifted a leg back balancing on one leg for a few seconds until he brought his leg down.

"You've seen the animals with the red eyes then?" Oscar asked.

The vulture nodded. "I haven't seen them with my own eyes, but I've heard of their activities. I happen to know of a way to defeat them."

Oscar looked at the vulture with interest, but Ellie wasn't convinced. She glared at the black raptor. "And why would you help us? I thought your kind would enjoy this slaughter."

"At the rate they kill, there'll be no animals left for us to feast upon," Lone Gunslinger replied. "And if there are no animals for us to eat, we'll die out. I know you mammoths don't like our kind, but I'm here to help. The enemy of my enemy is my friend, right?"

Ellie couldn't argue with that. "What do you know?"

Lone Gunslinger lowered his head, digging his beak into his right wing. He plucked out a loose feather then spoke, "In the words of a friend... One day the earth would part and evil doers would walk the land searching to kill and maim as they desired. A leader of this army would awaken in an eggshell made of magical components and a wave of death would occur. All animals will litter the ground and carnivores would die. I don't think I need to point out this is happening right now."

"So these animals are rising up from the ground to seek vengeance?" Oscar asked. "That explains Soto, but what about the other three? I can't see how Manny and Sid did any wrong."

The vulture shrugged. "There's a damned and cursed souls. Damned souls are those animals that made bad decisions that led to their downfall while cursed souls are animals that attract trouble. Perhaps your friends fall into that category." A flash of irritation crossed the sabre's face, but he spoke no further. It was Ellie who stepped forward to carry on the line of questioning.

"How do we stop these supernatural creatures? We can't face them in battle head on, they'll destroy us."

"The blood of a noble mammal will stop them."

"How?" Ellie asked a thoughtful expression on her face.

"Spill their blood where the leader was born and everything will turn back to normal," Lone Gunslinger replied, stretching his wings again. "Of course the hard part is convincing one of you to sacrifice yourself for the greater good... if you even get to the birthplace." A bitter dry laugh escaped his throat. "But I'm sure you'll save us all... you herd always had a way of defying the impossible." Again, he stretched his wings. "You'll need assistance from the other half of the herd though, that sloth will be good bait. I can be your eyes in the sky and your sabre friend here can keep track on the ground," he added, jerking his head in the direction of the sabre.

A deep growl escaped from Oscar's throat, but the vulture did not seem fazed at all. "Like it or not Oscar, we need his help. We're fighting a common enemy here," Ellie reasoned. Oscar nodded but remained silent lost in his own thoughts. Ellie sighed then looked at her daughter. Perhaps they had a chance after all.

.

Sorry for the month long wait, but it's been a very hectic month for me. I've had limited writing time available, but thankfully things are turning back to normal now. The story is coming to an end – a couple more chapters and it's all over. Did you like the Diego and Shira moment? Who do you think will be the saviour? As always, reviews much appreciated! Aiming for another update within the next fortnight!


	9. The Plan

**Disclaimer**

I do not own Ice Age unfortunately

**Title**

The Edge of Darkness

**Summary**

A dark evil has been unleashed upon the world, enveloping it in shadow. Now the herd must embark on a dangerous journey to unearth the source and end it.

**Special Thanks**

It's been a bit of a struggle trying to write the second last chapter, but I finally got there in the end! Thanks to Andres02, MusicRocks807, Guest, DGMSilverAirHead03, KaylaDestroyer, StelzaRinator, Angelotti and Starzinmieyez for reviewing the previous chapter. Also, thanks to MiGoreng for sending me a PM reminding me to update. Enjoy the second last chapter!

**.**

**Chapter Eight: The Plan**

He was unable to sit still for even a second. Troubling thoughts raced through his mind, preventing sleep from happening. As much as he wanted to sleep, the fear they were being tracked for all the wrong reasons kept his eyes open. Why had three copies of themselves appeared out of the blue? For vengeance? Was it because he had committed a crime in the past by betraying his own pack?

"Diego? Something bothering you?" Shira asked, opening a drowsy eye.

He halted, then glanced at Shira resting nearby. "I can't sleep. What if this is all my fault?" He looked at her helplessly.

Shira stood up and walked over to him, rubbing her head against his neck. "We don't know that for sure... heck, we don't know anything about them. But that doesn't mean they will defeat us – as long as it's alive it can be killed," she replied. She settled back down on the ground again.

Doubt still lingered in his mind, but he could tell Shira didn't want to discuss it further. He sat down and rested his chin on his paws, as she placed her head on his side. Her eyes closed and soon she was asleep. Diego gazed down at her for awhile, a smile crossing his face. He waited a few more minutes to pass by until he was certain she was truly asleep. He gently pulled back then stood up, walking to the cliff side.

"You two were getting cosy over there," Sid remarked, grinning at the sabre. Sid's jokes usually struck a nerve, but this time Diego didn't bother to reply. Instead, he glanced at up the night sky admiring the stars. Not even one cloud in the sky. "So, when are you planning on having cubs?" Sid asked.

That caught Diego's attention. He snapped his head around glaring at the sloth. "Don't even go there, Sid."

Sid rolled his eyes. "Touchy subject, eh?" The sloth glanced over his shoulder at Shira, then looked back at Diego. "I don't think you have anything to be worried about, tiger. I think she's smitten with you."

"And how would you know?"

"I'm an expert."

"Right... what do you really want to say, Sid?"

"I'm happy for you, tiger. If anyone deserves to be happy, it's you. I mean, I know Manny has suffered a lot to, and myself as well. But you've gone through the most. Led by tyrant then having to turn against your own brothers to be friends with vegetations. It must be tough," Sid said softly, gazing up at the sky. "Having Shira as a permanent member of our herd will be great."

"If we survive," Manny stated.

"Don't be so negative, Manny. We will survive this!" Sid declared. "This will end on a bright note." He looked to Diego for some support, but the sabre simply shook shrugged.

Diego sighed, then sat down on his belly. "You sure do know how to remain positive about everything, Sid." He closed his eyes. "I hope you are right..."

**.**

"Anyone willing to give a friendly vulture a ride?" Lone Gunslinger shouted, waddling behind the group. Despite having superior eyesight, a vulture couldn't see at night. His legs were just as useless as his night vision.

Peaches looked behind her, then shook her head. "I'm not carrying a dirty vulture on my back. I'm already carrying two opossums."

Lone Gunslinger frowned. "Such discrimination, we do you vegetations a favour, you know? We clean up the mess made by other predators so you vegetarians don't have to look at the corpses of your fellow friends."

"Ugh, whatever."

"Hop on my back, we can't afford to have you fall behind," Ellie offered, stopping temporarily to allow the vulture to climb on her back. With wings outstretched, Lone Gunslinger hopped forward until he built up enough speed to lift himself up into the air. He flapped several times, then landed on Ellie's back, gripping onto her fur with his talons. "We need to move on through the night; I know we're all tired, but Manny needs our help. He doesn't know what we face yet. Besides, we don't want Soto and the others to catch up to us."

Crash yawned, then stretched his arms collapsing on Peaches' back. "I'm so tired."

"At least you don't need to walk," Peaches retorted.

Eddie landed beside his brother. "You're a good friend, Peaches." He yawned as well, then closed his eyes drifting off to sleep. As the opossums slept, Oscar scouted ahead tracking the scent of mammoth. Every few minutes he would stop, waiting for the rest of the herd to catch up then he would sprint ahead and continue his tracking.

"How much longer now?" Peaches asked, stifling a yawn. Her eyelids were beginning to drop.

"Oscar believes we should reach them in the morning if we continue our current speed," Ellie replied.

"I'm so tired," Peaches mumbled.

"I know, sweetie. You'll have a chance to rest soon though. Keep talking to me that should keep you awake through the night."

"I've got a few good stories to share," Lone Gunslinger said, looking down at Peaches. He stretched a wing to the right. "It's about my time meeting with a group of pirates."

Peaches lifted a brow. "Pirates? Seriously?"

The vulture nodded. "Their spy happened to get a little too close to my territory once, so I had to chase him off. Ended up flying towards a giant ship hidden in the mist. They caught me and threw me in a bird cage... can you believe it?" He shook his head. "Anyway, I had a chat to their captain. A giant ape called Gutt. We traded a few words and he released me."

"They released you? Why would pirates do that?"

"It was quite a few years ago. They were just starting out as pirates. There were four at the time including Gutt. A kangaroo, a skua and a fat walrus. A weird crew, but I've seen stranger. Like that herd of yours." He plucked a loose feather out of his wing and threw it aside, watching it float to the ground.

"It sounds like you're jealous because you don't have a herd," Peaches replied, with a smirk.

Lone Gunslinger narrowed his eyes. "There's nothing to be jealous of."

Ellie laughed. "Oh, I don't know about that."

"Please... enlighten me."

"In a herd, we always have each other's backs. You vultures on the other hand fight over petty things. There's no fighting in a herd, we support and share with each other," Peaches explained, looking at the bird.

"A little fighting can be useful," Lone Gunslinger retorted.

"You fight over food. The biggest or strongest vulture gets the best, while the others get nothing but little scraps," Peaches argued. "In a herd, we share our food so we all get our fill. There's no fighting for leftovers or anything."

Well, that did sound pleasant... to an extent. It sounded way too peaceful for Lone Gunslinger's liking though. He liked caused trouble and invoking fear into ground animals. Being part of a herd wouldn't allow that sort of mischief. "A strong argument, but not good enough to win me over."

"How about this, then? Would your fellow vultures help you take down those evil animals?" Ellie said. Peaches smirked in triumph. The vulture didn't have a response to that. "Herds are good. You should think about joining one."

"Is that an invitation?"

"It could do you good, you know. Life doesn't get boring with a herd, there's always an adventure around the corner," Ellie explained. A smile crossed her face, "We go to places the other animals would never dare cross. Like the dinosaur world."

"Whatever..."

"You could meet the love of your life travelling with our herd," Peaches teased.

"This discussion is over."

Both female mammoths looked at each other then burst out into laughter, leaving the vulture feeling somewhat rattled but giving him much to think about.

.

Diego opened his eyes and yawned. The bright rays of the hot sun fell upon him, bathing him in light giving his fur a shiny glow. He looked to his right looking for Shira, but to his surprise she wasn't there. Sensitive hearing caught the sounds of voices talking. Ellie? But she wasn't here... was she? He stood up abruptly and headed towards the source of noise. To his surprise, he found himself looking at Ellie, Peaches, Crash and Eddie, a vulture and... Oscar.

"Diego!" Ellie shouted, waving at him with her trunk.

Diego nodded in response, his eyes trained on Oscar. What on earth was he doing here? Where was Zeke and Lenny? "What are you doing here, Oscar?" Diego demanded.

Shira frowned. "They're here to help us. We've discovered a way to defeat the evil ones and it'll take all of us." She turned back to Oscar giving him a soft smile, "Oscar led them to us."

Although he was glad to see Ellie, Peaches and the two opossums again, the sight of Oscar dampened his mood. They hadn't exactly left on good terms. "I wish to speak to Oscar alone." In the corner of his eye, he noticed Manny and Sid looking at him, but Diego ignored them. The two male sabres wondered away from the group out of hearing range.

"That's a nice looking female sabre," Oscar commented, casting a brief glance in Shira's direction. She smiled at him again.

"Why are you here?" Diego snarled.

"I'm not chasing after female sabres if that's your concern," Oscar replied. "I'm here because I want to help. Soto has been reborn. The last we saw of him he was in a duel with three other dark mammals."

"Soto?"

"I was there when he was reborn. Hatched out of a giant egg. He's desperate for revenge, taking out his anger and rage on those copies of you, Manny and Sid," Oscar explained. "Lone Gunslinger told us of a way to defeat them so that's why he's here in case you are wondering." He looked over at Shira again. "Is she your mate?"

"No," he snapped.

Oscar turned to Diego again. "Defensive as always, Diego? Look, I'm not here to start a fight. Lenny and Zeke are dead. I'm just trying to do something good for a change, are you going to hold that against me?" The two males stared at each other, until Diego pulled away. "I thought so. Let's rejoin the others and discuss the plan of attack." Diego led the way back to the group where Manny was explaining the battle strategy.

"Alright, Lone Gunslinger," he started, looking at the vulture sitting on the ground, "you can attack them from above, dropping things on their heads. Crash and Eddie can hitch a ride and help while the sabres can lead them on a chase back towards the place where Soto was reborn," he added, glancing at the three sabres.

"I won't be able to run far," Shira said, lifting her injured leg, "I'll help Sid collect the eggshells and lay them around the cave."

"Alright, that leaves the chase to us then," Oscar said.

Diego snorted. "Think you can outrun them?"

"I should ask you the same thing. Has being around vegetarians made you slow?" he countered. Diego didn't respond.

"Peaches and I will trap the animals inside the cave with boulders," Ellie said. "That then leaves us with the last part... the sacrifice. Who will spill their blood to end this evil for good?" She looked around the circle of animals. One animal would leave the group for good.

There was complete silence. No one wanted to offer themselves up to be the sacrifice nor did they want the other animals to worry. "Well, it can't be me because I'm not a mammal and legend says it has to be a mammal," Lone Gunslinger said.

"Oh darn, here I was hoping you'd be the sacrifice..." Sid muttered.

Silence fell again. "I could be the sacrifice..." Shira started, stepping forward. Diego's ears perked. "We need blood to end it."

"You're not going to be the sacrifice, I won't let you," Diego said, before he could stop himself.

She turned on him with angry eyes. "You can't stop me."

"But you've just joined us!" Diego argued, temporarily forgetting other animals were present. "I thought we were friends..." he trailed off, ears dropping. Had the past few days of relationship building simply been a waste?

"Friendship doesn't last forever," she snapped back. "I don't have a strong connection to your herd being a newcomer, so it'll hurt less if I'm the one to offer my life to end this evil." Her expression softened, "It's the least I could do for the kindness you have shown me." She turned away from the group. "There's no discussion. It's settled." Before Diego could protest further, Shira walked away.

.

Shira sat away from the group, her paws hanging over the side of the cliff edge. She looked towards the horizon admiring the beauty of the scene before her; wide open ocean stretching for miles never seeming to end, with the reflection of the sun appearing in the water. "Shira..." a voice spoke, snapping her out of her trance. She looked behind her. It wasn't Diego, but Oscar. "Diego's a good tiger, Shira," Oscar said, walking over to stand next to Shira. "He'll make you happy."

Shira snorted. "He can't decide anything for me, it's not like we're together or anything." Yes, she had grown used to his company, but they weren't mates. They never would be either. If he wanted to be with her it was simply for biological reasons, not for love. "I didn't mean to snap at him, but he has to understand. This is our only chance to end this."

Oscar sat down beside her. "Would you believe me if I said he liked you?"

Shira's eyes widened. "Diego... likes me? What makes you think that? We're friends, that's all."

Oscar lowered his head, hiding a grin. "Diego doesn't exactly have experience, but he has good intentions. He likes to think he's a big tough sabre bachelor, but really, deep down all he wants is a family of his own. We're litter brothers, I know him well." He looked back up, giving Shira a soft smile. "He'll never admit it – but he's chosen you, I can tell. He is showing signs of typical male sabre behaviour."

"I always thought males were a strange species..." Shira replied slowly. Oscar looked away again, seeming to find something interesting on the ground. "Is something bothering you?"

He lifted his head again, this time casting his gaze towards the horizon. The humour in his eyes had faded, replaced by an unknown desire. Shira wondered what thoughts raced through his mind. Bringing up Diego was a diversion. "You won't be the sacrifice, Shira. That would kill Diego and that herd will fall apart." He sighed, then took a deep breath, "I've done wrong in my life and I seek to make things right. This is my chance to redeem myself."

"What are you saying..." He couldn't be suggesting...

Oscar looked into her eyes. "I will be the sacrifice."

.

Cliffhanger! Gonna try and get the last chapter up by Christmas... fingers crossed. As always, reviews much appreciated!


	10. Sacrifice

**Disclaimer**

I do not own Ice Age unfortunately

**Title**

The Edge of Darkness

**Summary**

A dark evil has been unleashed upon the world, enveloping it in shadow. Now the herd must embark on a dangerous journey to unearth the source and end it.

**Special Thanks**

So much for updating this by Christmas... anyway... here is the final chapter! Thanks to MiGoreng, macas1, , KaylaDestroyer, aqalina111, StelzaRinator, MusicRocks807, Andres02, DGMSilverAirHead03, Angelotti and ciana tl for reviewing the previous chapter!

**.**

**Chapter Nine: Sacrifice**

It was the moment the animals had been waiting for. The only opportunity to end the evil threat once and for all. Diego sat atop the cliff ledge overlooking the land. Everyone was in their positions now. He spotted Lone Gunslinger flying in circles up above with Crash and Eddie sitting on his talons, armed with handmade shooters. Oscar stood to his right, while Shira was helping Sid gather the eggshells. The mammoths waited at the cave, ready to use their combined strength to trap the evil fiends inside. "Are you ready for the chase of your life?" Diego asked, glancing at Oscar.

Oscar rolled his eyes. "It's not a chase I like. We're the ones running for our lives this time." He turned around and started to head down the cliff with Diego following. "Let's track down these fiends." He increased his pace, sprinting through the snow leaving a trail of footprints. With their keen senses it didn't take long to find what they were looking for. The sabres hid behind a rock watching their enemy, while Lone Gunslinger flew high above in circles.

Oscar frowned. "Huh – seems like there's only one animal to worry about now." The mammoth, sabre and sloth were missing. Only Soto remained. "He seems larger than before..." he muttered.

"What do you mean?"

"Soto was fighting with the other three. Do you think that he might have... absorbed their energy to make himself stronger?" The idea seemed a little far-fetched but then again, animals appearing out of a crack in the ground was crazy too. He shook his head. "Don't mind my ramblings, we do have a chase to make," Oscar added, then sprinted across the snow Diego following close behind. "We have to get his attention."

The quickest way to grab Soto's attention was to roar and that's exactly what Oscar did. Soto immediately glanced in their direction, his eyes glowing a dark red. Red eyes fixed on the two sabres, and Soto arched his neck back and emitted a low, menacing growl that frightened even the bravest of sabres. Diego pulled his gaze away, turning his attention to the journey ahead. "Let this chase be his last."

.

Laying eggshells around the cave entrance was much more tiring than he originally thought. The shells were half his height for starters and surprisingly, quite heavy. He sighed, wiped his forehead and rested against the cave wall to catch his breath. Shira glanced at him, then uttered a soft growl. "There's no time for resting Sid."

Manny rolled his eyes. "That's our Sid."

"Just... give... me a... few moments...alright?" he panted.

Manny cast Sid a doubtful glance, then shrugged. "Ellie and I are going to get into position now. Send a growl our way when they arrive, alright Shira?" he asked, glancing at the female sabre. She nodded. Manny and Ellie left the entrance and headed towards the sides of the large cave, concealing their bodies in the shadows.

Once they were out of hearing range, Sid turned his attention to Shira. "Why did you offer to be the sacrifice, Shira?" he asked, slowly waddling over to Shira's side.

"It felt right. I don't belong here." She turned her head away, focusing her gaze the eggshells lining the cave entrance.

Sid stepped in front of her. "But why? Don't you like us?"

Shira sighed. She could see there was no way to escape Sid's line of questioning. "It's just... I'm out of place. You are all friends already and I don't want to come between the special bond you guys have," she explained.

"You are our friend, Shira. Ellie, Crash and Eddie weren't our friends at the beginning either, but now we're close." He gave her a sly wink, then grinned, "and I think Diego would really appreciate it if you stayed with us."

That look unnerved her. "There's no need to worry anyway, Sid. I won't be the sacrifice... Oscar will."

"Oscar?"

"He told me earlier."

"But-"

"Sid – drop it. I'd rather not talk about it. Let's just focus on doing the job right."

.

With aching muscles and heart hammering wildly, a sensible sabre would stop sprinting and let their body relax until the next opportunity surfaced, but resting wasn't an option when one was running for their lives. Determination overcame fear and exhaustion, spurring Diego to reach speeds he didn't think he was capable of. He pushed aside every emotion and thought. There was no time for thinking when sprinting to the end.

"We're almost there..." Oscar said.

Diego didn't reply. He didn't think he could afford to spare energy on talking. Soto was closing in on them, he could tell by the pounding of footsteps. If one of them dared to stop... no. No time for negative thinking.

"Diego... I just want to you know... I'm glad we're in this together. Just like old times, right?" he said, panting. Diego remained silent. "I know you're... listening to me so I just want to add... keep safe, my friend."

His last line almost caused Diego to come to a skidding halt, but Soto's deep growls prompted him to continue sprinting. Keep safe. Did Oscar plan to leave the herd afterwards? Or was it something else? Oscar shouted something along the lines of, 'there it is! The cave' but Diego didn't care. A sacrifice was needed. Oscar planned to be that sacrifice probably because he was ridden of guilt.

"Quickly now! We must charge into that cave!" With an extra burst of speed, Diego charged for the cave entrance. Everything else was just a blur to him. The cave mouth neared... they were so close... "DIEGO!"

Diego slowed his pace, then glanced behind him. Soto had managed to grab one of Oscar's legs forcing him to fall over. Not wanting to leave his friend at the mercy of Soto, Diego rushed back and threw his entire weight at the enemy, successfully throwing him back. Soto growled, gnashed its teeth at Diego and lunged at him. Diego evaded.

"Diego! Take my blood... lead him to the cave... quickly now!" Oscar said.

"But Oscar-"

Despite Diego's valiant attempts to save his friend, it was too late. The damage had been done. The leg Soto had grabbed had been torn in half. "Do it now! Don't let my sacrifice be in vain!" he snapped. He lunged himself at Soto, claws slashing at the sabre. Diego nodded. The snow where Oscar had been wounded was dyed a dark red. Would it be enough to silence Soto forever? Only one way to find out, Diego thought. He rushed forward, scooped up red snow and sprinted towards the cave.

Oscar's pain filled roar rung in his ears. Forcing himself to not look back, Diego continued to charge towards the cave entrance, aware the Soto was hot on his track. He could hear stones dropping from the sky, but none of it seemed to halt Soto. Not that it mattered though, the cave entrance was just a few metres away now.

"JUMP DIEGO!"

Sid's voice.

But where was he?

No time to look now.

Diego dived into the entrance, sliding across the cave floor. Soto threw himself into the cave at full force, colliding into Diego pushing him into the far wall. He managed to free himself from Soto's grip and crawled across the floor to the entrance where the egg shells rested. He dropped the snow on the shells and ensured each one was covered, then exited the cave.

"NOW!" Shira roared.

Manny and Ellie appeared from the shadows and used their combined strength to push a boulder into the entrance. Where they had found the boulder, Diego didn't know nor did he care. Finally this madness would end. The two mammoths pushed. Soto flung himself at the entrance but he was too late. Light was soon replaced by darkness.

"It's done," said Manny over the growls of Soto.

"Let's leave this place," Peaches said, shuddering.

Sid nodded. "Agreed."

"Wait!" Ellie cried, "We can't leave without Crash and Eddie!" At that specific moment, Lone Gunslinger landed on the ground with the two opossums clutching at his legs. "Glad my brothers are fine."

"Where's Oscar?" Manny asked, looking around.

Diego dropped his gaze. "He... was the sacrifice."

Silence.

"We must pay him our respects," Ellie said. "He saved us all." Diego fell silent. Oscar. He hadn't seen his litter brother in years. They finally reunited but their time together was short. Dead. Zeke was also dead. And Lenny? Most likely dead now that he didn't have his pack to support him. He was the last of his pack.

Shira nudged him. "I'm sorry, Diego." He didn't say anything, but greeted her affectionate nudge with his own.

"I wish to be alone with him."

Manny nodded. "We'll join you when you are ready."

.

The sight before him was a hard one to bear. Although he was no stranger to dying animals, seeing his own blood lie on the ground dying was difficult. Diego sat down next to him. "I'm sorry, Oscar. If there was some other way..."

"Do not apologize..." Oscar lay on his side gasping for breath, as blood formed around him. He gazed up at his friends and forced a smile. "It's... over now at least."

"No... we can help you," Diego started, a forbidden tear drop slipping down his jaw. "I'm not letting you die."

Oscar snorted. "We needed a sacrifice... I chose to be the one."

Diego lay down on his stomach. "Why? Why did you do it?"

"You deserve... to be happy."

Silence. Oscar's breaths became ragged and colour drained away from his face. His movements were becoming slower with each passing breath. It wouldn't be long until death took him. "You saved us all. What you did was selfless." He couldn't imagine what it would feel like knowing your death was just around the corner. What thoughts raced through his mind? Did he feel fear? Diego wasn't entirely sure if he wanted to know.

Oscar smiled. "Have a good life... Diego. Make the most of it." His eyelids closed and his breath slowed. Not another word left his mouth.

Diego nudged him, hoping Oscar would awaken but he never opened his eyes again. It hit him like a brick. They were enemies for some time, but Oscar had redeemed himself by sacrificing his own life to save them all. "I will never forget you, Oscar." He stared at Oscar's corpse for a little longer, then signalled for the rest of herd to join him.

Shira was the first to greet him. "Diego!"

He tried to put on a brave smile for her, but failed. "He has passed away."

The other animals lowered their heads and closed their eyes as a sign of respect. The opossums, usually busy making jokes, were surprisingly quiet. Crash even had tears in his eyes although he tried hard to hide it. A minute passed. The animals lifted their heads and opened their eyes. Manny turned to the cave. "It's over then."

Ellie squeezed Manny's trunk with her own. "We did it. Together."

"We're a family again," said Peaches, standing in between her parents. The elder mammoths exchanged warm smiles.

Sid watched the mammoths, and wiped an invisible tear from his eye. "That's so sweet. I wish I had a family." He continued to stare at them for a few minutes, then turned away. He rushed over to the cave entrance and grabbed an eggshell.

"What are you doing, Sid?" Diego asked.

Sid lowered a claw onto the shell. The dirt marks on his nails allowed him to draw a face. A very crooked face. He picked up the shell proudly. "My family!" He snuggled up against the shell.

"That sloth... is a strange one," Lone Gunslinger said, seated on the ground.

"He's always like this," Diego said, turning around to face the vulture. "When he acts normal then we know there's something wrong."

The vulture nodded. "Well... it's been fun, but it's time that I leave." Without adding further to his blunt comment, he spread his wings, took a running leap then flew up into the sky.

The mammals watched him leave. "What sort of goodbye was that?" Crash said, frowning.

"It doesn't matter; everything is back to the way things should be," Manny said. "We can put this all behind us and focus on the future." He looked towards Oscar's bloodied corpse. "But first, I think we should pay our respects to the one who saved us all." The other mammals nodded and gathered around the fallen hero and bowed their heads in respect. After the minute of silence, the herd began to leave. Only Diego and Shira stayed behind.

"He died a hero," Shira said, "He will not be forgotten."

"May he find peace on the other side," Diego said softly, staring at Oscar's closed eyes. A rush of coldness swept through him. Gone forever.

Shira nudged him softly, "He is not truly dead – he remains in our hearts until the end of our time."

The two sabres stood side to side unware they were being watched by the rest of the pack. Ellie exchanged smiles with Manny, "I think Diego will be fine." Manny could only smile back in kind.

"So, how long do you think it will be until cubs are announced?" Sid asked.

"SID!"

.

And I have finally finished this story. I literally had to force myself to sit down and write this – didn't want to leave you guys hanging for a few more months. Thanks to everyone who showed their support by reviewing, faving and alerting – could not have made it this far without you all. My other major Ice Age story, 'Love and Loss' has also been completed – feel free to check that one out as well if you haven't already.

I did have a sequel planned, but I'm not interested in writing it anymore. However... if someone wants to write a spinoff or a sequel, feel free to! For the last time in this story... reviews are much appreciated!


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